Children of the Shadows Challenges
by Raindrops on Feathers
Summary: Well. First off, I think I've won the award for most challenges done for a single forum. :T 32 challenges. Second, it's an awesome forum. Third, I'm a modshroom on that forum. And fourth, this amazingly awesome forum is run by Xixi, our little Night Raven. Fifth? I intend to do every challenge Children of the Shadows has. ):3 However long it takes.
1. What is Love?

**What is Love:**

Icekit glanced over her shoulder as Toadkit and Dapplekit slept in their nests. Today, the two older kits would become apprentices. Her own sister, Sunkit, was leaping after a moss ball, but Icekit had never seen the point of it. She had always controlled her emotions, always shut out everything and everyone who tried to figure her out. But one of the few emotions she ever felt was the need to always act calm, mature, and slightly mysterious.

She blinked as Dapplekit leapt into the air and spun around to charge out of the nursery. "I'm gonna be an apprentice soon!" The mottled brown she-kit boasted. "You still have to wait a moon and a half, though, so ha!" "Good for you. Now, I suppose you'd like to go and eat. It would be a shame if you were to starve on your first day, after all, Dapplekit." Icekit mewed thinly.

Sunkit skidded to a halt in front of them and pressed her muzzle to Dapplekit's. "Oh my StarClan!" Her sister exclaimed. "You're so lucky! You get to be an apprentice. I'm so happy for you!"

Standing up, Icekit left the two kits and padded over to the Clan Rock. If this ceremony was anything like Rockpaw, Brightpaw, and Littlepaw's, then it would be early in the day. Sure enough, Nightstar trotted out of his hazel bush den and crouched, preparing himself to scramble up the tall rock.

One her few flashes of excitement came then, and Icekit gritted her teeth, mentally crushing the emotion. _I cannot be so weak! But... I still can't wait till my own ceremony. Sunkit and mine's ceremony._

...

"Icekit, from now on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Icepaw. Thornheart, you have shown yourself to be strong and brave, and your mentor, Mapleflower, shared with you her own curiosity and passion. I trust you will be a good mentor to this apprentice." Nightstar mewed.

Icepaw stared evenly into Dapplepaw's eyes, remembering the day the brown she-cat herself had been apprenticed. Sunpaw bounded over to Dapplepaw, Toadpaw, and Brightstorm, her eyes twinkling with excitement. _Ha. Sister, if only you were as strong as I. Your emotions will only drag you down._

"Come on," Thornheart mewed, sounding impatient. "We don't have all day to explore the territory and collect the elders some bedding." "You speak as if I'm a mouse-brain, Thornheart. Did you start out a genius?" Icepaw tilted her head, keeping her tone calm. Her eyes didn't shine or spark with any emotion, unlike Thornheart's, which shimmered with annoyance.

The duo padded out of camp with a welcome silence, and Icepaw didn't give a second glance at the territory around her. "You said we're low on time," Icepaw meowed, flicking her tail. "Don't you want to run?" "What did I ever do to Nightstar?" Thornheart growled, but began to run anyways.

Finally, they began to collect moss, and Thornheart led her to a clearing. Toadpaw and Sunpaw were already there, slowly creating a pile of moss. Sunpaw was acting like she was glued to Toadpaw's side, and Icepaw let out a 'tsk, tsk' and shook her head. _We were just made apprentices! What's with the mooning, Sunpaw? I knew it would make a cat weak._

"That moss is so soft!" Sunpaw squealed as Toadpaw dropped a small bundle of moss onto the heap. "It's so perfect!"

Toadpaw glanced at her. "Here, take it for your nest. The elders can live if you fancy it like that." He pushed the moss towards Sunpaw, who swiftly snatched it up, purring. "Oh, thank you, Toadpaw! You're so kind!" Icepaw almost missed the look that Toadpaw flashed at her.

...

Brushing against Sunpaw, the sisters bounded over the Tree-Bridge. Icepaw could sense the excitement sparking from Sunpaw's pelt, and it seemed to deepen as Toadpaw drew up alongside them. This was their second moon as an apprentice, but they hadn't gone to the previous gathering. Honestly, Icepaw didn't care if she went or not; it made no difference to her. "Hey," Toadpaw mewed. "Do you want me to show you around?" Icepaw didn't respond, but Sunpaw nodded. "Of course, Toadpaw! I think I'll sit next to you, too, if you don't mind."

Toadpaw shook his head to show that he didn't before cocking his head at Icepaw as she began to shiver. It was late leaf fall, and it did not help to have a thin pelt. "Are you cold?" He asked. Icepaw nodded, her eyes empty of emotion of always. "Yeah. Why do you care?" "You're a clanmate, duh!" Toadpaw mewed after a few moments. "I don't want you to freeze. Here, I'll walk on your other side to keep you warm."

Sunpaw let out a wail. "But I'm cold, too!" Icepaw took one look at her long, golden fur and sighed, shaking her head. _I was right. Love makes a cat so weak... I'm lucky to be able to completely control my emotions._

...

Iceleap and Sunstream padded out of camp. Her sister had invited her to hunt together, just like old times, and so there they were, standing in the middle of a sheltered clearing. Suddenly, as Iceleap opened her jaws to scent the air like she had been taught, Sunstream tackled her to the ground. "Get away from Toadskip!" Her sister hissed. "He's mine, so stop secretly meeting him or whatever!"

Kicking her sister off, the white warrior jumped to her paws. "You're welcome to him, Sunstream. I don't care about any cat, just as always. I'm not weak like you lovey doveys, always giving in to emotion." Hmph, I knew emotion is bad.

"Don't care about any cat, not even me or our parents? Ha, yeah right! I've seen the looks you and Toadskip give each other, all mooney. But you heard me- Toadskip is mine!" Sunstream gowled. "And for your information, if you don't feel emotion, then you're not even half a cat! Emotion means personality and a cause to be who you are, do what you do. I can't believe you!" The golden she-cat stormed off, leaving Iceleap with her first ever true emotion: surprise. It was all over her face, her thoughts, her fur.

 _I look at Toadskip? But I am strong! Yet, if what Sunstream says is right... then I am not a true cat._ Numbly, Iceleap turned to go off into the forest. After a few minutes of walking, she heard rustling, and she froze, diving into the cover of some bushes. From her shelter, she saw Toadskip and Sunstream walking together, and she felt anger burn inside of her. _Sunstream couldn't have Toadskip... H-He was hers!_

Iceleap narrowed her eyes, gritting her teeth. She was no longer strong- Sunstream had broken her- but that still didn't mean she could be strong for her emotions, to back them up. And if Sunstream was right, which Iceleap knew she was, she loved Toadskip. Bursting out into the clearing, Sunstream jumped before hissing at her. "You said you didn't care!" "Then you shouldn't have broken me!" She retorted.

Toadskip broke them apart. "Guys, stop fighting! Tell me what this is about, and I can fix it for you." His gaze lingered for a few heartbeats on Iceleap, and she beamed, finally realizing why she loved him. Not only was he handsome, but he was smart and clever and funny and brave and loyal and caring.

The two sisters stared at each for almost a minute, when Sunstream flattened her ears and bared her teeth. "Fine!" She snarled. "Both of us love you, but you can only be mates with one of us. So who do you choose?"

Toadskip glanced at both of them, his expression filled with first shock and then joy. "Iceleap," he mewed. "I choose Iceleap."

...

The two lived happily together for two and a half days, when the mates went out hunting together. As they neared the spot where Toadskip chose her over Sunstream, the said sister burst out of the bushes, lunging for Iceleap's throat. Yet a heartbeat before she have caught Iceleap's throat in her jaws and killed her, Toadskip jumped in the way.

Iceleap let out a choked yowl of grief as her beloved mate died almost instantly, now dropped onto the ground at Sunstream's paws.

 _"Emotion means a cause to do what you do,"_

 _"Toadskip is mine,"_

 _"You are only half a cat,"_

 _"Don't care about any cat, even me? Ha,"_

The white warrior's mind whirled. Toadskip belonged to Iceleap, not her sister, and she was more than half a cat. She was strong, and only emotion fueled what she did next.

Pouncing forwards, Iceleap closed her teeth into Sunstream's neck, tearing the life out of her golden sister. As she dropped the she-cat onto the ground with Toadskip, her dying sister lashed out her claws and seized Iceleap's life just as she stopped breathing. After a few moments, Iceleap was dead as well.

...

A familiar dark brown shape stood in front of her, his fur sparkling. "Iceleap!" Toadskip cried. "Welcome to StarClan. Don't worry, my love; Sunstream has been cast to the Dark Forest. It was hard- it took nine of us to throw her over the border- but once a cat places paw over the border and into the Place of No Stars, they are stuck there forever." Toadskip rasped his tongue over her ears, pointing with his tail in the direction of the evil woods.

Besides Toadskip, Iceleap had thought she didn't care for any cat. But now she realized that wasn't true. She loved Sunstream, and it was her fault that she was dead. She tore herself away from her mate and dashed in the direction he had pointed, Toadskip running after her. "What are you doing?" He called. "You can't speak to Sunstream, if that's what you're doing! It's impossible to talk to Dark Forest cats!"

Iceleap skidded to a halt right at the border and spun around to face Toadskip. "I can't stay here in StarClan, with you, where I am happy, knowing I killed my own sister, knowing I killed Sunstream. I'm sorry, my love. This hurts me as much as you, but I cannot live forever, in bliss, here with you." With that, she bounded into the Land of Darkness, weeping for all she had lost and where everything had gone wrong.

 _I love you Toadskip. I love you._

 **About my use of the word weeping/crying: I know that cats don't cry, but I was unable to think of any other word that described like that how she feeling.**


	2. First Catch

**First Catch:**

Birchkit trembled with excitement, staring up at the Great Pine. In only a few minutes, he would no longer be a kit, but a ShadeClan apprentice! Flowerkit, Lionkit, and Robinkit sat near him, all quivering, but it seemed like he was the most excited, giving small jumps and making swift runs in circles. "We're gonna be apprentics!" he breathed, before repeating it more loudly. "We're gonna be apprentices!"

He slowed for just a moment when he noticed the warriors were flashing somber glances in his direction and whispering about. _What's wrong with being excited? Waspwhisker, I saw your warrior ceremony and your apprentice ceremony. Watching you was halairious!_ The thoughts distracted him, and he toppled over, landing in a bundle of fur on the dusty ground.

"You messed up your fur, Birchkit! Come over here." His mother, Paledawn, mewed fiercely. Sighing, Birchkit heaved himself to his paws and padded to her, letting his mother groom his fur while his littermates laughed at him. Birchkit was usually the victum of teasing, so he always made sure to hang around cats who would try and stop it, but Paledawn was focusing too hard on his fur and couldn't hear their remarks.

"Aw, the wittle baby kittypet messed up his precious little fur!" Flowerkit cooed. Robinkit nodded, snorting, "It can't get any worse for him already, though, can it? We should keep off him for a few days, let him get used to the fact that he's too loud and clumsy to be a good warrior." Birchkit narrowed his eyes. _I'll show you! As soon as I can, I'll show you._ He was just as good- better, even- then his littermates. He was sure of it.

He whipped his head around and pulled away from Paledawn as Yellowstar began to speak, her golden pelt shining in the sunlight. "Today, ShadeClan gathers for a very important ceremony- the making of not two, not three, but four apprentices! Come forwards, young kits." The clan parted to let them through as Lionkit led them as a peaceful walk to the tree. Well, he didn't lead Birchkit. He bounded ahead, letting out excited squeals before skidding to a halt a moment too late, banging his little brown head into the trunk.

Yellowstar waited for a moment, staring down at him, before speaking. "Flowerkit, before you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Flowerpaw. I trust your mentor, Waspwhisker, though he is young, will teach you the importance of thinking before you act and passion towards all your clan mates. His mentor, Minnowdapple, taught him curiosity and determination, and I'm sure he will pass on all of these valuable skills to you." Birchkit watched as Flowerpaw touched noses with Waspwhisker. _No fair! I kinda wanted him to be my mentor!_ Oh well. Bumblestorm and Skyshimmer were good, too.

"Robinkit, you will be known as Robinpaw until you are awarded your warrior name. Skyshimmer is brave and courageous, and I know that Troutstream passed on to her his loyalty and swiftness. With Skyshimmer as your mentor, I know these qualities and more will pass on down to you." Robinpaw stepped forwards, touched noses with Skyshimmer, and padded off into the crowd, leaving just Lionkit and Birchkit.

Birchkit shuffled his paws, scooting away from Lionkit as he was called up by Yellowstar. "Your name is to be Lionpaw while you are an apprentice. I hope your mentor, Bumblestorm, will share intelligence and his light paws with you, just like his mentor shared her wisdom and devotion with him." Lionpaw and Bumblestorm touched noses and padded away, leaving Birchkit cursing silently. _Fox-dung! None of the mentors who I want are available anymore!_ His anger quickly turned to worry. _Who's Yellowstar going to make my mentor? Please, don't choose Stormfall or Rosehop!_

"Birch _paw_ , I thought long and hard about who would be your mentor, and eventually I decided that I would like to train you myself." Silence. Silence and shock. _Yellowstar_ was going to be mentor? Birchpaw could hardly believe it! "I hope that I am a smart and resourceful cat, and I know that my mentor, Owlfeather, was strong and sensible. I wish I will pass these qualities on to you as well as he passed on his qualities to me." Yellowstar leapt down, off the Great Pine, and into the clearing, where she touched noses with Birchpaw almost reluctantly. _But why? She chose to mentor me!_

The clan broke up, with Flowerpaw and the others leaving camp to explore the territory while Yellowstar sent Birchpaw to gather bedding for the elders. He agreed, not wanting to explore with his littermates, anyways. He left the camp, careful not to get lost, and by dusk, he had finished his duty and was lying in his nest near the entrance of the apprentice den. Birchpaw listened to his littermates exchanging goodnights, and he wished they would say it to him, too, but he had the tough luck. He was the outcast of the four- the runt.

Next morning, when the mentors called for the four of them, Birchpaw was sure that they were taking him with them. "What are we doing today?" Lionpaw asked eagerly. "Battle training?" Bumblestorm shook his head, but Skyshimmer responded for him. "Nope, we're hunting. And Birchpaw?" He tilted his head at them, still positive he was hunting, too. But her next words told him more then he wanted to know. "Yellowstar wants you to do the queen's bedding." Birchpaw nodded and trudged off, listening to the six talk about hunting and how amazing it was and how the first one of them to catch some prey would get the first pick of the pile. And then? Then they talked about him, and 'how weak he was, and how dumb and annoying he was'. All six of them, even the warriors!

Birchpaw gritted his teeth, stalking out of the entrance to camp and into the forest. Glancing around, he wasn't sure where to look for moss without getting lost. _Yellowstar should have showed me the territory! I should be learning to hunt with my sibling! I'm not puny and weak!_ He narrowed his eyes, sniffing the air.

And then he scented it. There was a squirrel, plump and healthy from the smell of it, not too far away. If he could catch it... Birchpaw dropped into a sloppy crouch, trying to be still as he located the exact spot where the squirrel was nibbling on a nut in the shelter of some leaves. He placed one paw in front of the other a few times until he was about three fox-lengths away, stopping because of a twig in front of him. _I'm not skilled enough to go over it yet,_ he decided, thinking carefully. _I'll go around._ Scooting to the side, he accidently brushed a fern.

He froze, praying to StarClan that he hadn't scared off the squirrel. One moment, two moments, there! The squirrel was nibbling on the nut again. Birchpaw would have to be fast. Using his sloppy stalking technique, he proceeded until only a tail-length stood between him and the mouse. _Got you!_ Birchpaw lunged, killing the squirrel neatly. "just what do you think you're doing?" A voice interrupted his silent cheering. Skyshimmer and the others entered the clearing.

"I-I was going to gather the moss when I smelled this squirrel and decided to catch it to help feed the clan," Birchpaw stuttered. "How was your hunting? Did you catch anything?" "Robinpaw has a horrible leap. Lionpaw is a horrible stalker. Flowerpaw doesn't even try. She just teases her littermates." Bumblestorm snorted. Birchpaw barely held back a smirk as his siblings lowered their heads in shame. "You did a wonderful job catching that squirrel, though!" Waspwhisker mewed. "Wanna join us for the rest of the session? Flowerpaw can go do the bedding, since she was being mean to her siblings."

"Yeah," Birchpaw mewed, nodding. "Yeah, I'd love that!"


	3. Thawing Love

**Thawing Love:**

Icefall purred, brushing against his best friend, Featherdrop, as they left the warriors den. Though it had snowed almost every day the past moon, he still felt warm and cozy standing next to her. Heat radiated off her pelt, and as he flicked some moss off her pale silver pelt, a snowflake landed on his snow. He sneezed, scrunching his cold nose before another snowflake could brush it.

"We should all call you Snowsneeze!" Featherdrop teased, flicking him with her tail. Her blue eyes twinkled playfully, and Icefall pretended to be hurt, letting his tail droop. "Then you'd be known as Mosspelt!" he laughed.

The two of them struggled through the shoulder-high snow until they reached the fresh-kill pile, and Icefall found himself even more glad he was WindClan- his light frame and long legs made it easier for him to stay on top of the snow and not in it. As Featherdrop brushed the snow off a rabbit, Skykit and Gorsekit came bounding out of the nursery. "Can we have a badger ride?" Gorsekit demanded.

Letting out a groan, Icefall knew he should have been more careful. His mother's second litter were all sass, and both of them had decided it was their job to spend as much time annoying Icefall as possible.

"Go bother the warriors!" He mewed, turning back to Featherdrop and crouching down to eat.

Two sets of tiny paws scrambled up his back and cuffed his ears. "Give us a badgers ride!" Featherdrop grinned and picked up the two kits by their scruffs, setting them down. "Go to Redpaw and the other apprentices," The beautiful she-cat mewed sternly. "That's an order!" "Your not our mother!" Skykit retorted, her green eyes sparked with anger. "So don't tell us what to do!"

Still, the two kits bounded off, leaving the duo to enjoy their fresh-kill. "I wonder if one of us will ever have kits," Featherdrop mewed curiously. "Or us." Icefall tensed. He wasn't ready for kits, and maybe not a mate, either. "Keep wondering until you can see the future," he mewed tartly, before sighing. "I'm sorry; I spoke too roughly," He murmured.

Featherdrop laughed, standing up. "It's okay! C'mon, let's go out for a run." Icefall jumped to his paws, nodding, and the two dashed out of camp, heading for one of the hills.

Rabbits were darting everywhere, and he couldn't resist chasing after them. He turned away from Featherdrop and bounded after a black-and-white hare, his hind paws kicking up clods of dust. Icefall tensed as they neared a clump of heather, knowing very well that a rabbit burrow could be hidden in the shelter of the plant. Forcing his legs to go faster, he pounded onwards, letting out a great leap to try and catch his prey.

He didn't land on it, but instead a few mouse-lengths in front of it. Icefall spun around, preparing to run some more, only to see that the rabbit had disappeared. "Mouse-dung!" he cursed, flattening his ears. Pricking his ears, he wondered where Featherdrop was. As he stood up to chase another rabbit, something crashed out of the bushed behind him.

Icefall leapt into the air, he whipped his head around to see that his friend was chasing not only the black-and-white hair but a pale brown rabbit! He dashed after them, arching his back and stretching his legs to run faster. The white warrior narrowed his eyes as the wind whipped at his fur, throwing him off balance as he prepared to pounce again.

This time, he made it, and Icefall quickly delivered the killing bite to the brown rabbit as Featherdrop caught the hare. Panting, he leaned against her, realizing they had run through the snow all the way to a hill overlooking the lake. They could see all the territories from here, even a ShadowClan patrol marking the border along the lake shore. Suddenly, Featherdrop let out a hiss. "Is it just me, or is Foxtail in a ThunderClan patrol over there?"

Glancing at where the silver she-cat's tail was pointing, he realized she was right. The bright ginger tom was stalking something- probably a mouse- a few fox-lengths over the border. "Come on!" Icefall hissed. "Let's get him!" "No!" Featherdrop squealed, knocking him to the ground. He frowned, looking up at her. "But he killed your sisters, and he's breaking the code!"

Featherdrop shook her head. "No. If we go get him, he'll just lie about my sisters _and_ crossing the border. Plus, our scent will cover his. It will be best to just tell everyone when we get back to camp."

Icefall rolled over, putting himself on top. "We're heading back already?" He mewed. "We just got out!" Featherdrop didn't reply, instead lunging upwards. "Got you!" she mewed, blue eyes twinkling. Icefall head-butted her shoulder, throwing her off balance, before cuffing her over the ear. "That's no way to treat a warrior!"

"It just happens that I'm a warrior, too!" Featherdrop laughed. "I would think you'd know better, Snowsneeze!" "Mosspelt, how dare you!" Icefall retorted happily, and they began to spar, dodging and leaping and darting and weaving, careful not to injure each other.

Suddenly, a silver blue lunged under Icefall, throwing him to the ground before pinning him there. "I think you should show your deputy more respect, Snowsneeze!" Featherdrop teased. "In fact, I think I'll send you on moon-high patrol _and_ the following dawn patrol!"

"What if I'm your leader?"

"Then I'll be sending Snowstar on patrol!"

"Really? Then I'd have to punish my deputy for trying to order me around!"

"You would never punish me," Featherdrop murmured, and Icefall nodded. "You're right," he mewed. "I would never punish you." They collapsed in a heap at the edge of the hill, sharing tongues as it approached sun-high.

He glanced at the sun, wishing hopefully that, for once, the sun would melt the snow. But the golden orb provided no warmth today, only sunlight, as it had ever since the first snow of leaf-bare. "We'll freeze to death," he muttered, and Featherdrop wiggled closer to him. "No, we won't," he heard her mew sleepily. "You'll keep us warm." And the two of them drifted off to sleep at the top of the hill, snuggled together for warmth and comfort.

Both Icefall and Featherdrop jerked awake as the snow underneath them began to crumble, jumping to their paws. Before either of them could scramble off the patch of snow, it collapsed beneath them and they started rolling down the hill, towards the frozen lake. His ears pinned back in fear, Icefall tried to get in front of Featherdrop to try and protect her, but his paws wouldn't work and the she-cat slowly began to draw ahead of them as they neared the lake.

It could have been only a heart-beat or two, or maybe a few seconds, but it felt like seasons until the world stopped spinning, and Icefall raised his head groggily, his mind blank. "Wh-what?" After a few seconds, he let out a second, desperate cry, the world rushing back. "Featherdrop! Featherdrop, where are you!" Dizzily, he got to his paws and glanced around until he spotted the unmoving bundle of pale silver fur, closer to the middle of the lake.

Icefall stiffened, his fur bushing out as he rocketed towards her, failing to stop next to her and instead sliding on for another dew fox-lengths. He padded back to her, narrowing his eyes against the bright light reflected off the ice, and sniffed her fur. She was still alive, still breathing.

"Featherdrop, wake up!" he mewed, grabbing her scruff. Icefall knew he needed to drag her back to the land before she got frostbite or something worse while the ice clung to her bones. But as he reached forwards, he heard a cracking sound and jumped back. More cracks.

His friend raised her head, and even more cracks came. And then Icefall saw them- wide, quickly-spreading cracks stretching all around them, creeping up on both the cats and the shore. Icefall pulled Featherdrop to her just as the first of the ice started falling. "Run! Quick, Featherdrop! We need to get to the shore!"

Icefall didn't wait for her to respond, pounding back towards the moor, his claws unsheathed in his terror and scraping painfully over the ice, probably breaking it more. He could hear the fait pitter-patters as Featherdrop followed him at a slightly slowly rate, and then nothing.

Freezing with terror for his best friend, Icefall glanced back. Featherdrop had fallen through the ice! He could either go back and try to save her, or head back to shore before the ice broke. The tom pondered his options for a few seconds before a thought struck him. _Featherdrop would want me to live, wouldn't she?_ But he couldn't leave her! Icefall turned around and dashed back to his friend, ice breaking and sinking under his paws.

He dove into the freezing black water, gasping as he realized just how cold he was. Icefall was tempted to get off, but then wild claw marks on the edges of the ice hole reminded him of Featherdrop, and he took a deep gulp of air before swimming below the surface. Far, far below him, he could see a thrashing shape the color of ebony near the murky bottoms of the dark water. She was almost seven badger-lengths, if there was such thing, below him, yet for some reason, he didn't hesitate to dive down further so that he could almost grasp her scruff.

Icefall knew he was running out of air, and so he grabbed her scruff and began to paddle upwards, knowing he would have to be quick. Featherdrop was now limp, probably unconscious, making it even harder. Yet as they neared the surface, he found a burst of strength, forcing the blackness back and bursting into the air, gasping for breath.

Featherdrop stirred, grasping the edges of the ice, and so he let go of her, trying to get out of the water. But the piece of ice he was clinging to- the ice that keeping him above the surface, broke off and sank, and without the will to go on- he had saved Featherdrop, hadn't he?- Icefall let himself go without a struggle.

A few moments later, Featherdrop dove down and grabbed his scruff, pulling him back to the surface. "I'm not letting you go, Icefall!" Featherdrop hissed through gritted teeth. "I would always die for you. Now, I'm going to help you out, and then you're going to run for safety. Let StarClan take me, not you!" Icefall nodded, numb with shock, as she dove back into the water.

Seconds after she dove under, Featherdrop was underneath him, pushing him up and allowing him to scramble out. When he pulled himself onto a small piece of ice, he knew Featherdrop was already gone. "No! No, StarClan, why did you let her do that? It should have been me! Why did _I_ let me let her do it? Why!"

 _I love you, Snowsneeze. Now go! You have merely seconds._ A voice whispered in his ear. Icefall nodded, leaping off the ice and onto a more stable part of it before dashing and pouncing back to shore. _I love you too, Mosspelt. And I can't believe I lost you._ He was frozen, his soaking pelt clinging to his bones, and Featherdrop was dead, but part of him felt strangely happy, warm. _I do love Featherdrop. And I saved her, and then she sacrificed herself to save me. I am in love, a love found on thawing ice._

 _I have found my thawing love._


	4. 20 Love Stories

**20 (Actually 1) Love Stories:**

Dovewing pricked her ears, listening attentively as Squirrelflight listed the patrols. "Let's see," The ginger deputy mewed. "Bumblestripe, Dovewing, Mousewhisker, and his apprentice, Sparkpaw, can go hunting. Please leave immediately." The gray warrior sighed, gouging the ground with her claws. Did she have to be with Bumblestripe? "You can go hunting by the ShadowClan border. Be careful not to cross it, though."

She nodded, not really paying attention, and listened as Sparkpaw, who was actually Squirrelflight and Bramblestar's daughter and sister of the medicine cat apprentice, Alderpaw, let out a whoop of excitement. "Oh my StarClan I'm going hunting this is amazing please, Mousewhisker, please can I climb a tree and hunt some squirrels- not like I don't like my mother you know but I want to hunt in the trees please, please, please!"

"You won't be hunting in any trees, Sparkpaw!" Mousewhisker mewed sternly, and Dovewing glanced up, realizing they should have already left. Where was Bumblestripe? "I'm right here," the tom mewed, as if he had read her mind, making her jump. The pale gray tom was standing right next to her, so close that their pelts almost brushed. "Come on, let's go!"

Sparkpaw bounced and Mousewhisker nodded, and so the four trotted out of the hollow and into the forest. "Can I hunt alone?" Dovewing asked. She really wasn't desperate to be with Bumblestripe. "No, but that reminds of pairs. That would be a good idea; hunting in pairs is always useful. Since Mousewhisker should be with his apprentice, I'll hunt with you, Dovewing." _No! Not him! He might love me, but I really don't love him!_

But he was the leader of the patrol- what he said went- and so she nodded and watched as an overexcited Sparkpaw led Mousewhisker at a dash into the forest. Then she turned to Bumblestripe, only to find he was stalking a shrew. Dovewing crouched, sliding silently over the ground until she was opposite Bumblestripe, and caught his eye before nodding slowly.

He crashed forwards, letting out a yowl and scaring the shrew into her paws. In turn, Dovewing lunged and nipped the shrew's neck, killing it. She picked it up and found herself looking into Bumblestripe's eyes. "That was awesome," she mewed, and she meant it.

...

As the two of them carried their catch back to where they had left Mousewhisker and Sparkpaw, Dovewing realized that not only had they caught a lot of prey, but she had really enjoyed spending time with Bumblestripe. In total, they had caught three shrews, a squirrel, two blackbirds, and four mice, which was almost too much for them to carry.

When they entered the clearing, Dovewing found the Mousewhisker and his apprentice had beat them there, with their own good catch as well. _Though,_ Dovewing noted proudly. _We still caught more then them!_

"Good job!" Mousewhisker complimented. Dovewing blinked her thanks before glancing at Sparkpaw, remembering her earlier excitement. "Did you climb a tree to catch that squirrel?" she asked, nodding a squirrel that smelled strongly of the apprentice. "Yes, I did!" Sparkpaw mewed, her eyes twinkling with pride. "It was a neat catch. Good job." Dovewing complimented, licking the apprentice's ear before turning back to the others. "Come on. Let's get back to camp."

...

It was the Gathering, and both Bumblestripe and Dovewing had been chosen for the Gathering patrol. As they and the other cats gathered, to leave, Dovewing found herself pressing against Bumblestripe to keep warm, making the tom who loved her purr happily. She wanted to move away; she wanted to tell him no. But her paws wouldn't move, and as the ThunderClan party stampeded out of camp and towards the island, Dovewing found herself staying by his side.

Whatever had happened to her, made her jerk away from him and made her hate him in the first place, seemed to be thawing away. At least, that was what it felt like. A small, burning sensation in her heart, ready to burst yet still as calm as sunshine, peaceful and warm. Finally, when they reached the tree-bridge and she hung at the back of the group near Ivypool and Rosepetal whilst Bumblestripe ran on across, Ivypool padded over to her. "What's up with you and Bumblestripe?" Her sister asked in a teasing tone, though her eyes were serious.

"Nothing!" Dovewing exclaimed, narrowing her eyes and trotting away. Yet she knew- she knew it in her heart- that it wasn't true. There was something going on between them- she just didn't know what it was.

...

Three days had passed since the Gathering, and Dovewing found herself wishing to spend time with the tom who she once thought she loved. _What is happening to me?_ Every day, she hoped with all her heart that Squirrelflight put them together- and, of course, every day her heart had to be broken. Even worse? Every time she got close to Bumblestripe, she thought of Tigerheart. _No! I cannot love Tigerheart. I am a ThunderClan cat. I hate Tigerheart and the rest of ShadowClan, and I know that Bumblestripe is my mate._

Wait, what had she thought? Dovewing stood, frozen to the spot, staring into nothing. She had thought that Bumblestripe was her mate! Nonsense! Yet, when she thought about it... She was right. Dovewing and Bumblestripe were mates, now, truly in love.


	5. HAPPY Challenge 1

**The HAPPY Challenge!:**

Cloudpaw yawned, padding out of the apprentice's den and into the clearing. His mentor, Reedflight, was waiting for him at the fresh-kill pile. The wispy gray tom sniffed the prey until he found his favorite- a robin. "Come on," His mentor told him, sounding slightly impatient. "We're going hunting." Cloudpaw nodded, devouring the bird as quickly as he could. He couldn't wait! If all went well, he would be a warrior by the end of the day.

When he finished the robin, Reedlflight pointed with his tail at the entrance to the ThunderClan camp. "Go. Catch as much prey as you can. Remember- I will be watching you." Cloudpaw nodded and darted out the entrance, his paws pounding the earth as he ran blindly through the thorns, knowing he was lucky not to have gotten nay caught in his pelt.

Once he had travelled for a while, he stopped to scent the air. A mouse nest! Cloudpaw dropped into a hunter's crouch and listened for a moment until he knew where it was before creeping forwards. As he rounded a fern, he was able to see the hole in the ground. Luckily for him, there was enough space for him to slide his paws in to kill the mice without them getting out. He padded confidently up to the hole and stuck a forepaw in, trying in vain not to listen to the squeaks of the baby mice. Soon, he had 5 little mice buried under some leaves near the roots of an oak tree.

He froze as a sparrow let out a call and swiveled his ears, locating where it nibbled at a nut. Somehow, it hadn't noticed his attack of the mice. Cloudpaw slowly stalked forwards, knowing he couldn't dare to let the bird escape. His goal was not to fail at all during his assessment. Gathering his haunches under him, he prepared for the leap, calculating the distance and the strength needed and all the other important factors. It seemed like a moon before he was ready.

Cloudpaw pounced, landing squarely on the sparrow and delivering it the killing bite. He picked it up and padded back over to the oak tree, uncovering the mice so that he could add the sparrow to it before piling the leaves back up. When he turned around, a vole practically ran right into his paws. He caught it before it could run away and purred, delighted at his catch so far.

The apprentice caught sight of a flash of dark brown tabby fur, and he smirked, knowing Reedflight would be impressed. As he opened his mouth to scent the air, he even heard a twig snap as Reedflight accidently stepped on it. There! Cloudpaw had found a squirrel. He looked up, and found the squirrel holding an acorn on a branch almost directly above him.

Gathering his haunches once more, he prayed to StarClan that he would make the leap. _Please. Please. Please. I need this squirrel!_ He leapt. Time seemed to slow down as he arched toward the squirrel, both paws and claws outstretched to grab it. He made it, just barely, and snatched his quarry before it could escape, bringing it back with him to the ground. Panting, he nipped it's neck and set it down, leaning against the oak's trunk as he gave a breather. He could see the sun- it was almost sun-high. As he unburied his catches, Reedflight stepped into the open and nodded to him. "I'll help you carry it back."

Cloudpaw nodded in agreement and picked up the vole, the sparrow, and the squirrel, leaving the mice to his mentor. As they padded back, he could hear other prey in the shadows, but he didn't bother to try and catch them. So far, his assessment had gone perfectly. He entered the hollow first, letting his mentor trail behind him. Soon, Reedflight wouldn't even be his mentor, just another warrior. But Cloudpaw still had to beat Reedflight in a fight, and he knew the dark brown tabby was a strong fighter, just like his ancient kin, Bramblestar, Hawkfrost, and Tigerstar.

The clan had gathered around the edges of the clearing to watch the battle assessment. ThunderClan had taken to a tradition of having the final battle assessments in the clearing, with the rest of the clan watching. Cloudpaw glanced at his mentor, determination hardening inside of him. Sure, his luck had wonderful so far all day, but he still couldn't risk failing this part of the assessment. Reedflight took him to the very center of the clearing.

"In order to pass this assessment," Reedflight mewed gravely. "You will need to beat me in a fight. You will have up to three chances. In order to win a fight, you need to pin me down. If you are unable to do this any time of your three chances, then you will automatically fail our warrior assessment." Cloudpaw nodded, baring his teeth, and took a few steps back. Reedflight narrowed his eyes. "Ready? Set. Go!"

Everything seemed to slow down again as Reedflight lunged for Cloudpaw. He took a few steps forwards and bucked his hind legs into Reedflight's stomach, sending the other tom flying into the air. When Reedflight landed? While, to sum it up, Cloudpaw won on his first try.

Every after that happened smoothly. Poppystar gathered the clan and gave Cloudpaw the name of Cloudleap, the clan cheered for him, and Reedflight was angry about his quick defeat. Cloudleap had his vigil, of course, and a few moons later became mates with his true love, Roseflower. They had kits who grew to be warriors named Thornheart, Brackenpelt, and Snowfoot, and after mentoring a cat called Amberstep, Cloudleap was made deputy. He died serving his clan and saving Poppystar from a mad badger when she went hunting alone.


	6. Loyalties Divided

**Loyalties Divided:  
**

Redfeather ducked her head to avoid hitting it on a low branch, creeping slowly along the forest floor. She was near the edge of RainClan's territory, almost right on the border between them and SunClan. The russet tabby she-cat had left camp in a rage, but now she had cooled down and had decided to see if she could spy on any of their neighbors.

She froze as she heard a rustle not too far away, and then a golden pelt blazed into the air. Redfeather didn't have any time to dodge before the shape was on her. A golden tom pinned her to the ground, his green eyes glittering with fierce anger. "Why are you spying on SunClan territory, Redpaw?" He hissed, and she recognized him from one of her first Gatherings, where he had been made a warrior.

"It's Redfeather, now, Lionclaw! And I was not spying!" Redfeather growled. Lionclaw let her up. "Redfeather, eh?" he mewed casually, acting as if nothing happened. "Then what _were_ you doing, if you weren't spying?" His eyes stared into hers, and she found she couldn't lie to the tom who was only protecting his territory like any loyal, brave, strong, _handsome_ tom would do. _Wait, handsome? What was she talking about? She was absolutely not in love with a cat who she had barely met... right?_

"Oh, fine. Alright. I was spying because I was bored." To her surprised, instead of attacking her or anything, Lionclaw only gave her a quick lick on the ear. "It's alright. I can tell you were angry- besides, I would do the same thing." "You would?" Redfeather mewed, surprised. Lionclaw nodded. "I would have. Now, we should both go before someone finds us."

...

"Fire! Fire! Everyone, out!" A screech echoed through camp, jerking Redfeather awake. "Fire! Everyone evacuate immediately!" The yowl came again. She jumped to her paws, recognizing Thornstar's yowl . "Get out of camp! NOW!" The salty scent of smoke filled the air, and she felt her pelt bushing out with terror. Redfeather screamed, diving out of the warrior's den and barely missing a patch of fire as it crept swiftly up on the yew den. Shrieks and the sizzles of the fire filled the air, making her ears ring.

Warriors pushed out the den behind her, and Redfeather dashed over towards the nursery to let them through. She hadn't seen any of the queens yet- one of them was her sister; she had to find her! "Hazelstripe! Hazelstripe!" she called as loud as she could with her throat already sore and pained from the smoke. She gasped as she caught sight of a scorched bundle of fur. "No, not Stormkit!" Hazelstripe's only kit lay dead on the ground in the shadows of the kit. The tom's pelt was completely charred, and Redfeather almost collapsed in grief when she noticed Hazelstripe laying in the shadows. She was dead as well, a flicked still burning on her pelt. She reached out a paw to put it out before spinning around and dashing towards the entrance, where everyone else had already left.

Yet flames blocked her path, and Redfeather realized she could hear the screeches of her clan mates calling to her. "Help me!" she yowled desperately. "Help me- I'm trapped!" She spun around, staring for an exit, when she realized she could see a familiar golden tabby pelt carrying a long stick as he padded across a branch that hung into the camp. It was Lionclaw!

Lionclaw maneuvered the stick into place and called to her, and Redfeather didn't hesitate to dash to it and climbed furiously, Hazelstripe and Stormkit forgotten in her panicked attempts to escape the fire. When she was only halfway up, the fire had completely engulfed all of the camp and was beginning to creep up the bottom of the stick. She closed her eyes shut and continued to climb, focusing on Lionclaw's anxious, determined face as he called for her to climb it.

A sudden flicker burned the fur on one of her hind legs, and she falter, dangling in the air with only one forepaw securely on the stick. Lionclaw reached down and grabbed her scruff, heaving her onto the branch. His eyes were wide with worry as he sniffed her for burns. "Are you okay?" he asked desperately. Redfeather nodded, clenching her jaw before darting along the branch to the trunk, her eyes widening as realized how far the fire had spread.

Her clan mates must have left and gone to the stream that ran through their territory to shelter. She leapt off the branch and onto a flaming tree, barely feeling the pain as the fire scorched her feet and the blackened wood crumbled under her paws. Redfeather could hear Lionclaw following her, calling for her to stop, to be careful. But she couldn't! She had to reach her clan!

She leapt off yet another tree and into the fire when the trees became to unstable to climb and leap through. Though her fur was burning and the pain was almost unbearable, the thought of Stormkit and Hazelstripe and how she didn't want to be them- or worse- drove her on until she reached the stream, plunging into and flattening her ears as loud sizzles followed.

Then she was surrounded by her clan mates, surrounded her and questioning her and congratulating her. She pulled herself out of the stream and onto the side without the fire, lying down and panting as her clan mates followed her, demanding to know what happened. "Instead of leaving first, I looked for Hazelstripe and Stormkit. I found them, dead, burnt by the fire. When I turned around, I was trapped-"

Lionclaw leapt into the stream, his pelt sizzling as he climbed onto the bank with her. Redfeather's clan growled at him, advancing on him with claws unsheathed, but Redfeather let out a call. "No! Don't attack him! If it weren't for Lionclaw, I would be dead right now! He carry a long branch through the trees and set in up against a branch that hung over camp so I could climb it and run."

...

A day had passed since the fire. Lionclaw had made camp with the RainClan cats due to his burns, and Redfeather had made sure they welcomed him. She had slept right next to him, breathing in his scent. They had talked, late at night, and had confessed to each other that they were in love with each other. Though she hadn't told her clan mates yet, and only Lionclaw knew, she would be heading for SunClan with him as soon as they could. There, she would live with her mate for the rest of her life. Redfeather didn't care if her new and old clan mates abused and tortured her- she would be with Lionclaw, and that was enough.


	7. Do You See Me, Mother?

**Do You See Me, Mother?:**

Littlekit shrank back as Owlkit bullied her. "You tiny little thing, you're barely more then a scrap!" She glanced at her mother, Birdflight, and let out a squeak as Owlkit batted her to the ground. "Mama, help me!" Birdflight stared at her. "What can I do? Your father is dead, and Owlkit is being truthful."

...

She coughed again. Littlekit had been coughing heavily for almost three days now, but Birdflight hadn't bothered to tell Shimmerwing, the medicine cat. "You'll either get better or die." Birdflight had mewed. "I see no reason to interfere."

...

"Honestly, Littlekit! You'd think your mother neglects you, looking at the size of you! You're so skinny and weak for a five moon old kit!" Her friend, Streampaw, exclaimed. Littlekit ducked her head. "My mother takes great care of me," she lied.

...

Littlefang yawned. She had been made a warrior three days ago, and now it was time for the strong and talented young warrior to know. She carefully got to her paws and made her way into the clearing, avoiding her fellow sleeping warriors. Birdflight was eating by the fresh-kill pile, and Littlefang made sure they were the only ones in the clearing before padding up to her mother.

"Hmm? Oh, it's just you, Littlefang. Go away. I don't really like you," Birdflight mewed, finishing off her mouse. "No," Littlefang growled. "No, I won't listen to you. But you aren't going anywhere yourself. It's time you told me. Why did you neglect me as a kit, as an apprentice, even now?" Her pale ginger mother stared at her. "You're just my tiny kit. I shouldn't listen to you. Now let me go back to my nest," her mother commanded.

Staring into Birdflight's eyes, the light brown tabby she-cat glared at her mother. "You will tell me why you neglected me _now,_ " she ordered. "And if you don't, everyone will know your secret." To be truthful, Littlefang didn't know a single secret of her mother's, but if she acted calm, collected, cool, and confident (The four c's, as Littlefang put it) then maybe, just maybe, would Birdflight believe her.

Just as she had hoped, Birdflight stiffened. "Fine!" her mother spat. "Fine, I'll tell you!" Birdflight sat down again, but Littlefang didn't follow her example. "I neglect you because of your father. because of my parents. Because of my brothers and sisters. Because of your littermates." Littlefang took a step back. "I-I have littermates? But I've always been an only kit!"

"No, you have five littermates, all dead. Two sisters and three brothers. I'm sorry I neglected you, Littlefang, I really am." To the shock of the young warrior, her mother sounded broken, in despair, drowning in sorrow. "I thought that maybe if I acted like I didn't love you, then you wouldn't die like everyone else that I love has. Please, please forgive me, my dear. I love you so much!"

Though Littlefang wanted to forgive her poor mother, she couldn't. Not just yet. "But, mother... Couldn't you see my pain? I was abandoned, shunned, by the only cat who I have ever thought myself to be close to. You ruined my dreams, mother! I wanted a mate, I wanted kits, but you convinced me that no cat would ever like me, nevertheless love me! If it weren't for you, I'd be so different!" Her voice cracked, and Littlefang collapsed.

Immediately, Birdflight was there, licking her ears and murmuring comforting words to her. It wasn't very comforting, seeing as Littlefang had never had it done to her before, but now she forgave her mother. She had given her rant, and her mother proving that she really did love her. Yet there was no way she would act like it. Her heart was too soft on this. Her mother really had ruined her dreams, so Littlefang couldn't let her know that she forgave her. Not yet.

Littlefang stiffened as she heard cats stirring in the dens, and she pushed herself away from Birdflight and darted across the clearing with a squirrel. Owlheart padded over to her, his eyes twinkling. For once he wasn't teasing her. Had her new rank impressed him enough to make him stop? "Can I share the squirrel with you?" Owlheart asked. Slowly, Littlefang nodded, and Owlheart crouched down beside her.

 _I may not be who I wish I was, confident I have a happy future with a mate and kits, but I still love this life. I forgive mother. I truly do._


	8. The Fighter I'm Not

**The Fighter I'm Not:**

"Rainpaw! Rainpaw, you sleepy head, wake up!" Sleepily, I raise my head. "Who's there? Stop bugging me!" I call, before remembering who it was.

Pikeleap. My mentor. The strictest, sternest cat in the clan. The best fighter in RiverClan. My best friend's father. Yeah, that's who he is. I like to call him names behind his back. You know what I'm talking about? Yeah, that cat who you just can't stand cause your sure they just can't stand you, and you kind of want them to like you.

I let out a tremendous yawn, scrunching my nose before getting to my paws. "Rainpaw, get up!" Pikeleap calls again, his voice sounding like a combo of anger, frustration, and impatience. "You have one more second to get out of that den, and if you don't, you'll be tending the elders for the next three moons!" Yes, this might be why I call him strict and annoying and fierce and mean and a ratty old cat. Even though he's my best friend's father.

Popping out of the den, I glance up at Pikeleap. Want to know something else? He's big. Like, really big. If you think Troutstar is big, then look at Pikeleap! He's like a dog in a cat's skin. Of course, what his words threaten me are worse then his bite, though. The day a dog dares to attack RiverClan, I'll show everyone- _everyone_ \- that I'm an amazing warrior. You just watch and see.

Letting out a angry growl- I think it's cause he didn't get to punish me- Pikeleap leads me out of camp and into RiverClan territory. "Now, Rainpaw," he smirks. "We'll be practicing battle training. It's going to be an assessment- if you pass this, we'll have your warrior assessment tomorrow, since you're one of the best hunters. If you fail? You'll have to wait an extra moon for your warrior name."

Flattening my ears, I stare up at him with my mouth gaping open. Like a hole. Like a deep, deep hole that you just want to fall into at times when you're feeling embarrassed or whatever. Just like one of those holes. "Well, okay..." I stutter. "If you're sure." I should probably get this straight before I really do fall into that hole. Sure, I'm going to be a great fighter one day, but at this point in life, I'm the worst it gets. Like, even an hour old kit could do better then me!

Pikeleap nods. "Oh, I'm sure." He flicks his tail, a silent signal for me to start. I crouch down, using my perfect hunting crouch, before remembering that it won't work on a cat. So I switch into a normal crouch, scraping the ground with a front paw. Maybe I can charge him, knock him off his paws. No, that won't work. You see what I mean? _Horrible._ I'm the worst fighter in the history of the clans, I bet!

A large bundle of fur slams into me, and I'm knocked to the ground. "You don't have any time to think like that on the battlefield," Pikeleap growls in my ear. "You have to just do as you go." I'm pinned down- again, see what I mean? I'm absolutely terrible at this whole fighting process. I flail my paws wildly, aimlessly, hitting nothing but the air.

After a few hours, me mentor finally, Pikeleap gets tired of it and he presses my muzzle into the dirt. "Fail. Go back to your den and rest. It's almost night time." Looking up, I realize he's right. I've spent the whole day under Pikeleap's grasp, trying to knock him off me. My head and tail drooping, I nod and head for camp. Oh well. Maybe next time I'll make it.

In my nest, I'm all cozy and comfortable. My head is resting on my paws just right, and I fall asleep almost instantly, pushing me into this dark world where I just float and float. After every day of disappointing battle practice, it seems like I've no courage, no creativity, no enthusiasm left to have a dream. Yeah, a real good dream.

But this time, things are different. I'm standing in the apprentice's den grooming my fur when there's a lot of rusting and ground shaking and cats shrieking and stuff. I manage to catch what my clan mates are desperately screeching. "Badgers! And foxes! And ThunderClan! And WindClan! And ShadowClan! And a gigantic ugly troll of a dog! Help us, Rainpaw! We need you!"

Without thinking, I charge out of the den, letting out a fearsome caterwaul and launching myself onto WindClan's leader, Rabbitstar. As soon as I touch him, he crumples and dies. WindClan, of course, flees, stuck without a leader. So I spin around, and I flail my paws at these two badgers that are attacking my sister, Petalpaw. They die, too. I'm such a cool fighter! I can't believe it.

Oh, and ha! I told you I'd be an amazing fighter someday. Now look at me! The superior amazing totally awesome Rainpaw! Now all the attackers are backing away now in fright, and I laugh with this cool echoey sound, and I'm like totally the most amazing cat around.

My enemies let all my clanmates go as I stare at them. "Leave!" I howl. "Or die at my super awesome amazing paws!" The ugly troll of a dog whimpers, and it turns into Pikeleap. "But I'm your clan mate, too!" My mentor whimpers. "No you're not!" I yowl. "You brute!" Pikeleap flees, along with the others.

Now here's the cool part- Troutstar steps right forwads- I totally deserve this!- And he bows down to me. "Rainpaw, here is your warrior name, Rainstrike. Now, because you are so super amazing and awesome, I want you to kill me and take over RiverClan." So I snap his neck and StarClan comes and I don't just get 9 lives, but since I was so super, they gave 10 million! I'll never die!

At least, not until I wake up in the apprentice den with Rainpaw as my name and Pikeleap furiously howling my name from outside. "Wake up! Or else, you useless, clumsy apprentice!"

 **Rainpaw was the first name I though of- well, Rainstrike, actually, but I _think_ that went well!**


	9. No Choice

**No Choice:**

 _Ravenpaw!_

 _Ravenpaw!_

 _Ravenpaw!_

 _Great job, Ravenpaw!_

 _Congratulations, Ravenpaw!_

 _Good luck, Ravenpaw!_

 _Can you teach me the hunting crouch later, Ravenpaw?_

 _Wow, you get to be an apprentice, Ravenpaw!_

 _Don't worry, I promise to be a good mentor, Ravenpaw!_

 _You do a great job, Ravenpaw!_

 _Hey, little brother! You'll do great, Ravenpaw!_

 _Ravenpaw!_

 _Ravenpaw!_

 _Ravenpaw!_

Everything echoes in my head as I remember how my clan mates greeted my after my apprentice ceremony. That was the day when I took on my new name and my new status, with Frostdapple as my mentor. It was only a few days ago when I was sleeping with my mother in the nursery, but it's already the night of the full-moon. I really want to go, but am I still too young? I've only been an apprentice for a few days...

I can see Robinstar standing on the high ledge from my vantage point on the sunning stones. The deputy, Skywing, is next to them. It's easy to guess by looking at them that they're deciding on who to choose. I give a quick prayer to StarClan. _Please, please, please let me go to the Gathering. I'm a good apprentice!_

"You want to go to the Gathering?" Frostdapple asks cheerfully, sitting down beside me. I nod vigorously, and she laughs. "Don't worry, Ravenpaw! I put in a good word for you, since you've been working so hard." "Thanks!" I reply earnestly. "I really, really, really appreciate it." Frostdapple studies me carefully. "Don't groom your fur," she advises. "You look better without it. Just smooth it down."

Nodding again, I began to run my paws over my fur, turning the ripples into smooth, sleek black fur. As the moonlight hits Frostdapple's eyes just right, making them glow an eerie blue, I wonder if my own green eyes and shining like hers. "Tell me about the other leaders and deputies and medicine cats, please," I request quietly. "I want to know everything."

Frostdapple thinks for a moment. "Well, let's see... There's Plumstar of WindClan. She's really, really nice, but she's also super defensive of WindClan. She won't admit they've done anything wrong, but she still does it in a polite way, somehow. Her deputy is this grumpy tom called Shortfeather. I think their mates, but no one is sure. And Fallensnow is their medicine cat."

She yawns and lies down, and I copy her. I know we're both tired from our long day of patrolling the borders. "RiverClan is led by Willowstar. She's pretty shy for a leader, but she's also really proud of RiverClan. Willowstar prefers to fight rather then talk, however, and she's often snapping at cats. She thinks she's true royalty. Now, her deputy, Dawnstorm is another matter. She's so fierce and brave and bold, but she hates to fight. You'd think they'd make a good pair, but for some reason they're always bickering. And the medicine cat, Iceheart, is kind of a combo of both."

"I'm glad I'm ThunderClan!" I exclaim, sneaking glances at Robinstar and Skywing. Frostdapple nods. "Same with me. Anyways, ShadowClan had the most mysterious cat for their leader. No one knows anything about Toadstar except for his family, perhaps. He never shows himself, and always has his deputy and his medicine cat, who he's blinded to keep them from seeing him- at his side to double-block him from others. Rosethorn and Marshclaw are okay, but I really don't envy them"

"May all cats old enough to attend the Gathering gather here before us to hear who shall attend the Gathering this moon!" Robinstar yowled. I struggle to my feet and bound over to sit down, with Frostdapple following more slowly. "After thinking long and hard, I have decided that Appletail, Thornheart, Frostdapple, Cloudtail, Jaywing, Snowsong, Lionpaw, and Ravenpaw will come to the Gathering with me, plus Skywing, Lilyflower, and the elders who wish to come, of course."

I jump into the air. "Yes! Yes! I get to go to the Gathering!" Spinning around in circles, I dance across the clearing and into the thorn barrier, barely avoiding getting stuck in the thorns because of Frostdapple, who grabs my scruff and holds me still. Her eyes are shining with amusement, and mine with joy, but on the inside I starting to feel pretty embarrassed.

Meows of laughter and amusement ring out, and I duck my head and sit down where I am, angrily biting my tongue to stop myself from continuing to cheer. Robinstar leads us out of camp, and I follow as quickly as I can, stretching my smaller legs to keep up.

At the Gathering, everything is so crowded! We're the last clan to arrive, so I get the full blast all at once. I'm hiding at the edge of the clearing all alone, watching as my clan mates greet and chat with their friends. I can see another apprentice, with a pretty tortoiseshell-and-white pelt, wandering shyly around the edge of the clearing. Seeing her so scared like this fills me with pity for the two of us, so unsure of ourselves after of life-long dream to come here.

"Hey!" I call, beckoning her over. She jumps, and glances in my direction. After a few moments of hesitation, she pads over and sits down with me. "Hi," she mews quietly. "My name's Sparrowpaw. This is my first Gathering. What about you?" "I'm Ravenpaw. This is my first, as well. I'm a ThunderClan cat- Frostdapple's apprentice." I reply. And our conversation takes off.

"Oh! I come from ShadowClan. My mentor is Rosethorn- she's the deputy!"

"That's cool. But isn't Toadstar wary of you seeing him?"

"No, he hides out in his den while we train."

"What about Rosethorn being blind?"

"That? Oh... Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure! You can trust me- I'll die before I tell."

"Rosethorn and Marshclaw aren't blind. They can still the outlines of things,"

"That's weird."

"Yeah, I know. Anyways, what's Robinstar like?"

"He's a cool dude. But he's pretty unreliable in situations. It's a good thing we have Skywing as a deputy."

"What do you mean by unreliable?"

"He always forgets things, and he never does something the same way twice."

"Wow."

"I know."

"How do you live with him, then?"

"I kind of have to. He's my father, and Skywing's my mother."

"What? Really?"

"Really."

"That's amazing! Leader and deputy as your parents? You're so lucky!"

"Not really. I hate all the 'privileges' I get. It doesn't feel like my clan mates are my friends."

"Wow, that's too bad."

* * *

"ThunderClan, today we attack those horrid, stinky ShadowClan cats. They have stolen some squirrels from our territory. Now they must pay!" Robinstar roared form the high ledge. "The battle patrol consists of all the warriors and the apprentices! I know it is against the code for kits to fight, but that rule must be abandoned for now. Icekit, Smallkit, Flowerkit, Frogkit, Firekit, Foxkit, Birdkit, and Grasskit, you will all be on the battle patrol. So will the elders and the queens. We attack immediately!"

I glance at Frostdapple. "What is Robinstar doing? This is madness!" Her eyes are wide with shock. "I don't know, but the Warrior Code says to obey our leader. We have to go through with the attack. You've been an apprentice for three moons now- you are capable of fighting ShadowClan." I follow my clan out of camp as we charge towards ShadowClan territory. I don't know what to expect- I've only been to one Gathering, so I don't know the ShadowClan cats- but I'm willing to follow the Code and Frostdapple.

By the time we're halfway through ShadowClan territory, they've heard us and they ambush us as we plunge through the pines. A cat about my size drops down on me, and I shake them off to find that it's Sparrowpaw again. "How dare you attack us after RiverClan stole those squirrels! You know Willowstar wants a fight!" I stiffen. "I didn't choose for this attack to happen, with the elders and queens and kits and everyone else _all_ fighting!"

"You didn't?"

"No, of course not!'

"I'm sorry, Ravenpaw. It's just so, oh, how do I put it?"

"Terrifying? Horrible? Wrong?"

"Yes, all of those!"

"Well, what are we going to do?"

"The only thing we can do!"

"Which is...?"

"Kill our leaders and stop the war!"

Sparrowpaw leads me through the throng of cats until we reach Robinstar. He's fighting a thorn thicket blindly, calling it a ShadowClan imposter. "3... 2... 1... Attack!" Sparrowpaw shrieks. We both pounce forwards, landing on Robinstar and raking our claws over his throat. He drops to the ground dead. "All we have to do is give him too many wounds for StarClan to heal," I growl, before slashing my claws down his flank. Sparrowpaw covers his belly, until both of us are bloody from killing my father.

"It's time for Toadstar," Sparrowpaw whispers. "We kill him, and them we stop this battle." I nod, and we dash as fast as we can to the ShadowClan camp. Sparrowpaw leads me safely to Toadstar's cave, where we slip inside. A mound of fur is huddled at the end in a mossy nest. It's too dark to see what he really looks like, but you don't need to see someone to kill him.

This time, we made it short and swift before dragging him out of his den. Turns out, Toadstar was some sort of pinkish-ginger cat. I guess he was embarrassed about his fur color. The ShadowClan queens, kits, and elders crowd around us, with gasps of astonishment at their dead, oddly-colored leader. "Why did you do it?" An elder rasped. I flattened my ears and stared evenly into his eyes. "He needed to die, just like Robinstar. Our clans need even, fairly minded leaders who are open to others. Skywing and Rosethorn are good examples. They will lead you well. All that needs to happen now is for us to end the war by showing the cats that the leaders are dead, and then the new leaders can stop it all."

Everyone parts to let us pass, and we drag Toadstar as quickly as we can back to the battlefield, where we grab Robinstar from where we left him. I glance at Sparrowpaw, and nod for her to speak. "Cats of ShadowClan and ThunderClan! Our leaders are dead! It is time for Rosethorn and Skywing to take a stand- do you choose to continue fighting, or do you take your cats home?"

Faces all turn to peer at us, gazes full of shock as the clans fight no longer. Skywing and Rosethorn dart forwards, sniffing the leaders. "They were murdered!" Rosethorn yowls. Skywing spins around to face the two of us. "Ravenpaw! My son!" "Sparrowpaw! My apprentice!" Rosethorn echoed. The two new leaders lunge at us. "Traitors!"

I bowl Sparrowpaw over just in time, and we run as fast as our tired bodies can carry us. No one chases us, but we keep on running until we are out of ShadowClan territory. Though we didn't know it quite yet, our plan had succeeded. The two clans returned home, Rosestar and Skystar got their leader names and lives, and everything continued peacefully. But, banished as we were, we never knew until StarClan came to get us seasons later.

 _"You have served the clans well," They said. "You have served strong and hard the clans, even as outcasts. But now, sadly, it is time for you to join your warriors ancestors in the stars. The clans will need you alive, but even StarClan can not change fate."_

 _"No!" Sparrowpaw shrieked. "No, the clans need us!" My own mind was whirling. "What if," I said slowly. "What if our spirits were sent back to live a second life? Like Cinderpelt?"_

 _"You have served the clans well," They repeated._ _"You have served strong and hard the clans, even as outcasts."_

"Oh, Shortfeather!" A soft voice mewed. "What shall we name our kits?" "There are two of them," A tom's voice replied. "One tortoiseshell-and-white, one black. Both she-kits." "Then they shall be known as Sparrowkit and Ravenkit." The she-cat decided. The Shortfeather let out a thoughtful murmur. "Aren't those the names of the two cats who killed Toadstar and Robinstar, Plumstar?"

 _"Yes, my dear. But those apprentices were heroes- they saved all of us. And our kits shall share their spirits, and one day be heroes themselves."_


	10. I Cannot Keep These Promsies

**I Cannot Keep These Promises:** _(Then why do you make them?)_

The beautiful silver she-cat laughed, leaping into the air with paws outstretched to grab the falling oak leap. "And let me guess- Poppystorm didn't say thank you, did she?" Pinepaw nodded, rolling over in the grass. "Nope! Not a single elder in ShadowClan has ever said thank you, though. They're too busy being grouchy, I suppose!"

The female apprentice laughed again. "You're probably right!" Her blue eyes twinkled playfully as she bounded over, play-attacking him. "If I was an elder, I'd _always_ thank you." "Me too, Silverpaw," Pinepaw mewed. "Me too."

...

"Race you!" Silverfrost called, dashing off.

Pinespots let out a playful growl, darting after her. He batted at his mate's tail, making her stumble, and pulled ahead. "Got you!" He teased sweetly. Silverfrost nipped his hind legs, making him collapse, and Silverfrost raced on. As he struggled to his paws, he saw his identical-looking brother burst out of the bushes. "You can keep trying, but you know I'm faster!" Cedarstripe mewed.

Pinespots let out a growl. What was Cedarstripe doing pretending to be him? Playing with his mate? He watched in silence as Silverfrost and 'Pinepsots' collapsed in a heap, grooming each other. Stalking up to them, Pinespots decided that for the sake of his mate, he would pretend to Cedarstripe right now. "Hey, bro, can I speak with you?" He asked casually.

Cedarstripe- the real Cedarstripe- tilted his head curiously. "Sure, brother." Cedarstripe got up and followed Pinespots into the pines until they were far away from Silverfrost. Pinespots spun around. "What are you doing pretending to be me?" He hissed. Cedarstripe widened his eyes. "Pretending to be you?" Pinespots head-butted his brother. "Then what were you doing?"

"I was bored, brother! I heard you guys racing and I thought you wouldn't mind if I joined you!" Cedarstripe insisted. Pinespots flattened his ears. "Why didn't you say so?" "I needed the element of surprise to win the race."

"We weren't racing anywhere!"

"You weren't? Oh, my bad! You know, brother, you have a very nice mate."

"So?"

There was a screech as one brother lunged and caught the other's throat in his jaws. The attacked brother crumpled to the ground, leaving the other brother victorious.

"So I can do this and have Silverfrost as my own." Cedarstripe snarled, pulling a stick with fox dung on it out of the bushes. he rubbed the smell around the clearing before hiding the stick again and heading off, leaving Pinespots dying on the ground in the middle of the clearing.

The brown tabby tom raised his head and whispered. "I will walk in her dreams, I will follow her every step. I will _not_ let Cedarstripe trick her!" Then, with a heave of his chest, the last of Pinespot's spirit left his body.

...

The day after Cedarstripe had been murdered by a fox, Silverfrost had watched her poor mate sorrowfully walk around camp. "How are you today, my love?" she would ask, and Pinespots would look away slowly. She felt so bad for him, lost in his empty pit of grief and despair.

 _"Don't be,"_ A voice whispered in her head. _"Don't be sorry,"_

 _Why should I not be sorry for my mate?_

 _"He is not you mate. Do not trust him."_

 _Who else would he be?_

 _"My brother."_

...

Cedarstripe smirked as Silverfrost came over to him with a squirrel. Killing Pinespots had gone smoothly, and now his true love was his. "Pinespots, dear, please eat something!" Cedarstripe looked away from her.

"Come with me!" Silverfrost ordered sharply. Surprised, Cedarstripe stood up and followed Silverfrost out of camp. "Are you Pinespots, or Cedarstripe?" She demanded. "Why, Pinespots of course!" He replied quickly.

A ghostly form appeared next to him. "Brother!" Cedarstripe exclaimed. Pinespots growled at him. "Liar! Here, Cedarstripe. Tell me. What did I say to Silverfrost the day I was made a warrior?"

Cedarstripe froze, thinking. "I said that I loved her and that it would her turn soon?" Silverfrost purred. "Exactly! Now, Cedarstripe, you traitor, get out of my head! You're not my mate!"

Pinespots stood frozen to the ground, eyes wide. "But, but, Silverfrost, my dear!" Cedarstripe lunged, catching his brother's throat in his jaws. "I said you were my dear love and that-" Pinespots fell to the ground and faded away, and Cedarstripe turned to Silverfrost, satisfied. "There, my dear. My horrible brother won't bother you anymore. He is dead, dead from StarClan and dead from the world."

Silverfrost sighed. "Yes, my love. Yes, you are right. We are safe, here, in this world, together. I remember the day I first realized I loved you. We were out in the woods, and you were telling me about how Poppystorm had you spend all day getting her the best bedding for her nest!" Cedarstripe nodded, sighing. "I remember, too. It was a great day, though- I got to spend time with you."


	11. HAPPY CHALLENGE 2

**The** ** _(Not So)_** **HAPPPY CHALLENGE 2:**

"From now on, you will be known as Dawncloud. StarClan honors your extreme bravery and compassion, and we welcome you as a full member of WindClan." Grassstar mewed.

"Skytail! Dawncloud! Skytail! Dawncloud!" WindClan cheered. I look on with pride as my daughter, Iceleap's, kits are made warriors. My two grand kits will both make wonderful warriors. Iceleap sits next to me, beaming with pride, at the foot of the elder's den. "Oh, Sunlily! I'm so proud of them!" Iceleap mewed. I touch my nose to her ear. "As you should be," I purr. "They are fine cats."

As Iceleap leaves to congratulate and greet her kits, I stiffly rise to my feet and head to the medicine cat's den, wanting to speak with my brother, Nightstorm. He is sorting herbs in his den when I come in, and the sweet smell of all the fresh growth makes me dizzy. I sit down, leaning against the wall as he darts over. "Sunlily! Are you okay? Here, let get you some herbs!"

"No!" I tell my brother firmly. "The herbs just make me dizzy!" "Oh my StarClan you have green-cough!" Nightstorm wails, terrified. I jump to my feet in the midst of the dizziness. "What!?" I shriek. "I have green-cough?" "And you're expecting kits!" He adds. My eyes widen. "I'm really sick and I'm expecting kits!?"

I move to run out of the den, but before I can, Nightstorm collapses to the ground, laughing. "Got you!" I began to bristle, and I stalk out of the den, leaving him staring behind me. "I'll talk to him about my aching joints tomorrow," I whisper to myself.

The crowd has broken up, and Skytail and Dawncloud are already sitting down for the vigil. I head past the two she-cat and settle down in my nest, smiling at all the success of today. Even my brother's joke was successful- he hadn't laughed in a long time.

Sunlily never got her joints treated, but she died happy. A happy and peaceful death for a cat who served her clan well for many, many long years.

 **Wasn't sure how to write this one, but I did it in the end!**


	12. See You Again

**See You Again:**

"I'm sorry, Ivyfur, but I must leave you now," I whisper to my grieving friend. The dead shape of Ivyfur's mother, Robintail, lies before us. I touch my nose to her ear and stand up, heading to the entrance to camp. The death of Robintail has reminded me about my family- all of which are dead. I've suffered so much grief, yet, for some reason, I'm happy. One day, one day, I'll them all again.

When I see my parents, Sootclaw and Seedtail, I know what I'll say. I'll say, "I missed you mother. I missed you father. I miss my clan, but it was nothing compared to losing you. I'm glad to be with you again." When I see them again, that's what I'll say.

My brothers, my mate, my three kits, my parents. All of whom supported me and helped throughout all my grief. When I see them again, there'll will be so much to say. So many thank you's, so many I missed you's, so many I love you's. And when they ask me what's happened since their days, I know what I'll say. I'll say, "I missed you. I missed you so much. Kits were born, elders died, battles were fought, prey was killed, and I still missed you. And now I'm here with you again."

I have gone through so much pain, and now I am wondering what to saw to my loved ones while my best friend grieves over her first lost! She also supported me all these seasons, through all the grief, and I leave her now at one death? When I see my family again, I will see them and talk to them no more then once a moon. Because I have suffered all this heartbreak. Because I know the key to grief, to loss. And without loss and grief to endure, I am not the cat, the friend I should be. And if I suffer eternal loss and grief, then I will always act as I should.

Dashing back to camp, I lie back down next to Ivyfur. "I'm sorry I left you," I whisper. Ivyfur does not respond. "Ivyfur?" I poke her gently. She is dead, ice-cold. "No! Ivyfur! Not you!" I yowl, burying my muzzle in her fur.

 _Don't grieve, my dear friend. I am seeing my mother again. And one day, you will see your family again, too._


	13. Who Finishes First

**Who Finishes First:**

Blacktail laughed in amusement as her sister, Bluewing, skidded to a halt too late and rammed into a tree. Bluewing glared at her. "Hey!" She batted Blacktail's head, making her stumble before jumping backwards. "Okay, okay! Truce!" Blacktail called, before looking up at the tree. "You know," she mewed slowly. "We should have a contest!"

"About what?" Bluewing asked. Blacktail tilted her head. "Well, we could do squirrel-hunting!"

"Nonsense! We all know you're better. What about a race?"

"You're faster. Here, what about a jumping contest?"

"Climbing."

"Digging."

"Ew! No, what about catching the biggest piece of prey?"

"Nah..."

"Moss-gathering, then."

"Booooring! Why don't we climb a tree and race through the treetop? The fastest wins!"

"Sounds fair," Bluewing mewed. "And we'll start right here," she pointed at the oak with her tail. Blacktail nodded, agreeing. "We'll race from here back to camp. If you fall, as long as the other ones make it past the point where you fell with falling themselves, they win. And we start now!"

The two sisters leapt to the tree, climbing up it and onto their chosen branches. Bluewing jumped onto a willow, and then a birch, and then another oak. Blacktail followed her closely, clearly having some strategy in mind. As they continued on, Bluewing gained speed, but Blacktail gained agility, easily judging which branch was safe to jump on. Neck-on-neck, Blacktail made a leap for the final tree. Bluewing let out a hiss and jumped up a few more branches. Blacktail was almost at the very edge of the final branch. Pushing off the trunk with her hind paws, Bluewing soared through the air.

"I win!" The two cried.

"Oh, mouse-dung. You're right- you won," They tried again.

Bluewing let out an exasperated sigh. Blacktail growled in frustration.

"It was a tie," The sisters tried to say, but yet again, it was a jinx.

"Good game."


	14. Falling, Failing

**Falling, Failing:**

 _"In the stars with brightest moon,_

 _lies the key to stopping doom,_

 _from rising high above the light,_

 _to becoming something we cannot fight._

 _First lost amongst the darkest sight,_

 _the second cat will find the light,_

 _and lead the worst to face the bright,_

 _for one to end the storm."_

Yes, that was how the prophecy went. Yes, that was how _her_ prophecy went. Nightpaw was the first cat- everyone knew that. The loyal, brave, determined black she-cat was going to stop doom. Her sister, Featherpaw, was the other cat. The silver tabby would lead doom to her sister, and together they would defeat doom. The prophecy had hung over SunClan for seasons when finally the Storm of Doom had approached. Kits at that time, StarClan told Applewing, the medicine cat, that it would be two she-cats- one black, one silver tabby, and everyone had realized it was them.

Living a luxurious life even in the middle of the fiercest danger, Nightpaw had trained hard all her life for the moment where she would save the clan. Deep in her heart, she knew she would be a hero. She was given the best prey, full meals even during leaf-bare, shall it be then that it was her time, her moment. She had battle training every day, and even the elders said thank you when she did them a favor. The first thing a newborn kit was taught was the prophecy, and to respect and not annoy Nightpaw. Whenever Nightpaw looked at someone, everyone crowded around that cat, who had been looked upon by their savior.

It was a good day today. The sun was shining, the fresh-kill pile was full, and once again, Nightpaw had defeated a team of five warriors. The newest litter of kits were playing just outside the nursery- Foxkit, Robinkit, and Stormkit, who had been given a dark name in honor Nightpaw and how she would defeat the Storm of Doom. They were playing with a moss ball while their mother, Whitetail, watched them proudly. Nightpaw yawned, stretching, and gazed around the clearing. A few warriors were eating around the fresh-kill pile, and Featherpaw was chasing her tail near the apprentice den.

A cat rocketed into camp, screeching, and a dark spirit followed it. Nightpaw jumped to her paws, and dashed for it. _The first of the Storm of Doom comes forwards. It is time for it to die._ She thought, flexing her claws and leaping onto the gray spirit of doom. Yet she didn't quite leap onto it- instead, she fell through into it. Enveloped in cold, she gasped for air, slowly suffocating. What was happening? Her mind screeched. She was supposed to be able to kill the spirit! Collapsing onto her side, Nightpaw rolled out of the spirit and back into the world. She gratefully welcomed back the air and lay there, breathing quietly for a few seconds. The spirit laughed an eerie laugh that echoed around the clearing, and its red eyes trained on Foxkit.

Taking a few steps forwards, the spirit prepared to strike, but a black bundle of fur was faster. Stormkit launched herself towards the spirit, her claws ripping it's ghostly fur and drawing blood. Landing on the spirit of doom, she raked at it's ears, slicing them clean off before the spirit of doom shook her off. Nightpaw caught the kit by her scruff and set her down. "Stay here," she growled. "Let me handle this."

The spirit of doom was heading back over to them now, and Nightpaw unsheathed her claws. "Prepare to die," she snarled, baring her teeth. "You know I'm too skilled for you." Pouncing at the spirit, she raked her claws down it's flank. Noting happened, but where her paw touched the spirit felt deathly cold. Nightpaw let out a fearsome yowl and leapt for it, but again fell inside, her whole body freezing. She managed to roll out again, shivering deeply, to see that Stormkit was attacking again. Featherpaw was also their, clumsily darting around trying to distract the spirit.

As she began to feel warm again, Nightpaw heaved herself to her paws. It was clear that Stormkit was the cat in the prophecy. She was a black she-cat, and she was able to hurt the spirits of doom. Nightpaw would deal with that later. For now, her useless sister needed help. Shoving Featherpaw out of the way, she raked the spirit's face, and, ignoring the cold that rushed through her veins, began to dance around the spirit, keeping it's attention trained on her as Stormkit killed it. The spirit of doom fell to the ground and slowly faded, leaving behind a pool of murky blood.

Stormkit let out a victorious howl, and the clan began to cheer. "Stormkit! Featherpaw! Stormkit! Featherpaw! Cats of the prophecy, here to save us all!" Nightpaw bristled. No! That was her song, not Stormkit's! Foxkit and Robinkit threw their mossball at Nightpaw, and it hit her head. "It's our sister in the prophecy, not you!" They squeaked. Head and tail drooping, Nightpaw headed to her den, but she was cut off by Birdwing. "You don't sleep their anymore," The warrior mewed. "Go find a nest in the apprentice den."

Too depressed to argue, Nightpaw turned around and padded to the normal, regular, non-special den for the normal, regular, non-special cats. She might be able to defeat a whole clan single pawed, but she couldn't defeat a single storm spirit, a spirit of doom. She curled up in a musty smelling nest and wrapped her tail over her nose, falling asleep almost instantly.

In the morning, Nightpaw didn't bother to get out of her nest, even when she was told to. "Go away," she would mumble. "Leave me in peace." "You're no longer special," They would retort. "You can't order us around!" Nightpaw would unsheathe her claws and mew, "Want to challenge me about that?" and they would scurry away. Later, Foxkit and Robinkit came and began to mock her about everything. Burying her head in her nest, she whispered, "Just kill me, kits. Kill me and let me go."

Robinkit bounced forwards for the honors, but Foxkit grabbed her tail and pulled her back. "She'll suffer if we let her live!" Foxkit explained. Robinkit let out a purr of agreement, then turned to Nightpaw. "Sorry, poor little normal kitty." When Featherpaw came with a battered mouse for her, Nightpaw jumped to her paws. "You idiotic, horrible sister! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! I'm not in the prophecy, I'm just a normal, ordinary cat, in a normal den eating normal food while you're still a princess in everyone's eyes! And guess what? You fail at your duty in the prophecy! I had to be you yesterday! And I'm still normal cause I'm not a silver tabby like you! Guess who's really in the prophecy. A kit! A useless kit! I hate you, Featherpaw. I hate Stormkit. I hate everyone in this whole horrible world!" Featherpaw dropped the mouse and left the den quickly.

...

 _Oh, Nightpaw is right. I'm just completely useless, aren't I? I was a failure yesterday! I'll never be able to save the clan cause I don't fit my role. I have to be fast, I have to be swift. None of which I am. Oh, we're both failures! I should sleep in the apprentice den as well!_

 _Snap out of it, Featherpaw. You're way more important then Stormkit or Nightpaw or any of the others. Without you, Stormkit couldn't survive killing all the spirits of doom and ending the Storm of Doom._

 _But you're wrong- I am useless! Useless at my very important job!_

 _Well, at least we reached a compromise..._

Featherpaw sighed, ducking into her den and plopping onto her freshly made moss nest. On one paw, she was important. On the other paw, she was worse then Nightpaw. On a hind paw, everyone was just as special as she was. And on her final hind paw, which was also her final paw, there was no such thing as a special cat in the clan and they were all just making it up.

 _Phooey! You're special!_

 _Are you sure!_

 _Um... Yeah!_

 _Not very reassuring._

 _But reassuring enough, right?_

 _I guess..._

 _Here, want me to say it again?_

 _Why not...?_

 _You are very, very special Featherpaw. You just don't realize it._

 _Will I live through the Storm of Doom? My job is very dangerous._

 _Yes, of course! You'll through the Storm of Doom as long as you don't have your stupid, ordinary sister hanging around._

 _You want me to kill her?_

 _I guess. Yeah._

 _But!_

 _No buts. Buts make you weak._

Featherpaw sighed once again. Her mind-to-conscious conversation was getting nowhere.

 _Yeah, right! I'm getting you somewhere whenever you listen to me!_

 _Oh, you're right..._

 _See? I'm always right!_

 _Even about killing my sister?_

 _She no longer has the will to live. You would be being kind to her._

 _But she's my sister._

 _You don't love her, do you? She's ordinary!_

 _Well, duh, I don't love her! She is so non-special._

 _Then kill her!_

 _I'll think about it._

 _You are thinking about it._

 _Mouse-dung, you're right again!_

 _See?_

And again it was getting nowhere.

 _It's getting-_

 _Oh, don't try._

 _But I-_

 _Buts make you weak, you said it yourself! Now SILENCE!_

 _Fine..._

Featherpaw rolled over, trying to get comfortable so she could sleep. But...

 _Not the buts again! Kill your sister, or you won't live!_

 _That totally doesn't relate to what's happening, Mr. Conscious!_

 _That's Miss, Featherpaw! We're a she-cat!_

 _I can't believe I ended up stuck with you._

 _Hey!_

 _Just let me sleep, okay?_

 _Only if you promise to kill Nightpaw._

 _Fine. I vow that in three days, on the night of the sacred full moon, I will kill Nightpaw. No later, no sooner._

 _Good Featherpaw. Sleep now, and prepare for your big day._

 _Ah, phooey._


	15. You Have Everything I Ever Wanted

**You Have Everything I Ever Wanted:**

 **You want to know about my life? My horrible, terrible life? My life, where I am the hated one? My life, where my sister is the perfect one? The loved one, the trusted one, the one that nobody dislikes? My life, where my own kits hate me? My life, where my sister, her mate, and their kits are all perfect and amazing warriors? My life, where my heart is black and full of envy for my perfect sister?**

 **Very well. You asked to hear about my life, young kits. If my life scares you, angers you, frustrates you, torments you as it does me, you cannot blame me, and please don't even try. My life is already bad enough. I suppose I'll tell you about them all first, before I tell you some of my story. Is that okay? Good. Now, be quiet, and let my tales began.**

My name is Ratheart, named for my skinny twig-likeness, my naturally ruffled, shaggy fur, my small, beady eyes, my stump of a tail, my short little legs, my awful dark brown-black fur, and the scarlet heart on my chest. Everyone describes me as annoying and immature, like something just waiting to be washed away. Yes, dear kits, I'm afraid our clan values looks a tad too much.

My sister? Oh, her name is Ivysplash. She's dead now. If you promise to keep quiet about it and I like you lot, maybe later I'll tell you a secret about her, one that only I know. Ivysplash was the prettiest silver-and-white tabby she-cat, with these lovely blue eyes. She was so kind- to everyone but me, of course- her fur so silky and lovely. She cared about everyone, everything, and was so passionate. She took great care of her fur, and she fairly humble. Not as honest as she could be, but honest about every important, that was for sure. Of course, to her, and every other cat, I'm not important. I'm sorry kits for getting off track like this. I do not value our precious clan mates so much. Anyways, my sister was more elegant and graceful then any cat you've every seen- and you know what? I'm moving on from my sister. The brat.

Ivysplash's mate was Rockstorm. He was a handsome tom- he's dead as well, now- with shining black fur and brilliant blue eyes, like Ivysplash's. He loved her very dearly, and would do anything for her, even kill. If someone even looked at her, unless if she said it was alright, he would attack that cat. He kept a very close eye on other cats, making sure at all times that she was in no danger. A certain cat though did escape his attention, because that cat was very, very underestimated. He freaked out when she died.

They had three kits, like me, named Lovekit, Hopekit, and Joykit. Yes, you guessed it. They're now the leader, the deputy, and the medicine cat. Lovekit, though she's Lovestar now, was given Loveheart as a warrior name. Hopekit is Hopesong and Joykit is now Joydream. All of which are totally not appropriate for a warrior name, but they got away with it. I think that if our parents were loved as much as Ivysplash was, she would have become Glorymoon. Now, all three of these kits are very sassy and spunky. They can only have their way, they're bossy, and everyone thinks they're a gift from StarClan. I consider them a gift from the Dark Forest.

My own mate, named Raggedclaw, only fathered my kits because he wanted to see if they would turn our to be as horrible and ugly as me. And yep, they ended up with all my features. Raggedclaw was so disappointed, he ran away and became a kitty pet in shame. Great StarClan, that was a wonderful day. My kits, Splashrat, Dappledung, and Haildeath were all named in honor of people. My parents were named Dappleheart and Hailstorm, and Splashrat was of course named after my perfect sister, Ivysplash. My kits all hated me for two reasons- one, I was their mother, and two, I was ugly and they had inherited my ugliness. So they ran way and became rouges once they got their warrior names. In private, I call them Spashwing, Dapplestorm, and Hailheart, the names I would have given them. Oh StarClan, I've already said too much!

So that's everyone. Ready to hear the tale, little kits? Very well then. You're about to hear parts of my very own dreaded life.

It's hard to be part of a clan when everyone hates you, that's for sure, but it's a lot easier if you grow up with it, instead of it happening in the middle of your life. That's the one thing I'm grateful for. All the other kits teased me. They never played with me, never listened to me. I was just a scratching post or a toy mouse- whatever they wanted at the time- to play with and kill.

So I found myself my own quiet spot, my Cubby Hole. In there I had made a little fake cat out of plants and weeds and all. I named it Buddy, cause she was my only buddy/ We spent long days together, Buddy and I, talking about things and having little gossip sessions. There was the day where we snuck out of camp together, her and I! She was scared, so I had to help her a lot, but we both wanted to do. When we were about to get caught, I had Buddy run and hide. She did so, and I sacrificed myself to the punishment. I never saw Buddy again.

Well, I was made an apprentice so that I could do all the dirty work. I wasn't given a mentor- anything I wanted to learn I would have to learn by myself. So I practiced making more dolls in my free time- yes, little kittens, that's what you call them- until I had a whole clan's worth in my Cubby Hole. I was Ratstar, leader of RatClan, the best clan ever. I had a loyal deputy, Mistywing, and everyone loved me, and I had a wonderful mate called Ravenwing. Well, the clan discovered my Cubby Hole and my RatClan, and so they burned it down one night.

I was given my warrior name so I could do even more dirty work, like cleaning the dirt place and other nasty stuff. I worked hard, and I was delighted when Raggedclaw pretended to fall in love with me, even though I knew he was faking. I had a mate, even though he wasn't true to me. I gave him my all, trying to convince him to love me, but his heart was cold. I had his kits, he saw how they looked, and then he left. And guess what? My poor kits were scorned just like me, doing the dirty work. At least it meant I didn't have to do as much.

Splashrat, Dappledung and Haildeath spent their free time torturing me even though I spent my own free time helping them out with their duties. I was sad they left; even though they hated me, they would always be my kits. So there I was, handling all the dirty work in the whole entire clan, and I'm still expected to be tortured? Hopelove was made deputy, and Joydream got her medicine cat name. Everyone knew Hopesong was next in line for deputy.

And then one night Ivysplash was murdered by some cat. I don't know where she went- to StarClan, to the Dark forest, or to nowhere. I hope the Dark Forest. I tried to take advantage of her deather by taking her place, trying to get Rockstorm to love me like he did Ivysplash. He figured out my idea to become his new mate, and that same night, the murdered struck again. Now he was dead, as well. So everyone was in a panic, finding the murderer of their two favorite cats. But, of course, the murderer was never found.

 **So now you've see how I was pushed into the darkest pit by our clan mates. Now you've heard my side of the story. I'm lucky the clear-sighted members of this clan got me into the elders den. About the secret, you ask? Well, y** **ou seem like good kits. Can I trust you to never, ever tell anyone what I say next? Good. I trust you. I killed Ivysplash, and when Rockstorm found out, I killed him, too. Now, goodnight kits, and remember! Do not share my secret with anyone, please. I am at your mercy.**


	16. Possessed

**Possessed:**

 _What? Where am I? Why am I here in this dark, murky forest? What's happening? This-this can't be StarClan! StarClan has to be a better place! But... I was killed! Where else would I go? I'm not a bad cat... am I?_

"You're in the Dark Forest, Littlecloud. The Place of No Stars."

 _I can't believe it! Tell me. Tell me, why did I deserve to go here?_

"Deserve to go here? I never said that. You're journey to StarClan is just being... delayed."

 _But why would that be happening? I should be with family! Let me go!_

"Littlecloud, Littlecloud, Littlecloud..."

 _What? Tell me! I deserve to know._

"You're in the process of being possessed."

 _Okay. Wait- what? Possessed?! By whom? Why? Where will I go after that? What are you doing to me?_

"Possessed, stupid. It's as simple as that. Every time we are powerful enough, we wait for a strong, skilled, popular cat to die so that our strongest warrior can possess them. Today, it's Nightheart. We do it so that we can learn all the secrets of the clans. In their dreams, our chosen cats will relay all they've learned back to us. When you are killed a second time, though, both you and Nightheart will be dead. After this, you'll go back to your clan. Again, all we're doing is having Nightheart possess you."

 _I demand you stop this this instant, or else!_

"Ha, another puny little threat. Or else what?"

 _Or else I will kill myself once I'm back in the clan!_

"Try all day, you can't. Once possessed, Nightheart will completely control you. He will have access to all your knowledge, all your memories, so that no one will ever suspect anything."

 _I'll prove you wrong. One day, one day, I will take back control. One day I will leave freely again, or die trying._

"The process is complete. You'd better get used to this quickly, Littlecloud, and save your poor little heart from breaking one too many times."

...

 _This looks familiar. I'm back in the clearing where the fox killed me. But... does that mean I'm really possessed?_

 _Of course it does, Littlecloud. We Dark Forest cats are never wrong about things like this._

 _Get out of my head, Nightheart!_

 _Sorry, I live here now._

My body stands up shakily and begins to head in the direction of camp. I try my best to stop it, but it's as that cat said. Nightheart controls me now. _Stop it, Nightheart! Stop it! Please!_

 _Whine as pitifully as you'd like, Littlecloud. You can't stop me._

I can feel him began to probe my memories as we walk, going through everything. _Interesting. You have given birth to two large litters of kits, yet you have one son and zero daughters. What happened there?_

 _That's not for you to know!_

I'm ready to cry, if I was even able to. Here I was, controlled by an evil spirit, my mind being read and all my embarrassing secrets being revealed.

 _Ooh, here's a juicy one! You don't actually love your mate. You're only with him because he's the leader of WindClan. Your one kit is ugly, and the other ones from your litters are nothing. I still don't understand, Littlecloud. Why don't you tell me?_

 _No! Never!_

 _Don't make me._

 _I will never tell you!_

Suddenly, the one thing that Littlecloud even still had worked on it's own.

 _I have been a queen twice. The first time, I gave birth to my son and three other stillborn kits. I pretend they are alive, just invisible. My next litter were a single stillborn. I pretended that it was actually twelve more invisible kits. My mate loves me dearly. I have never said a single truth to him. I hate my sister._

 _Why, thank you Littlecloud!_

It seemed like he cackled evilly inside my head.

 _Just stop! Stop it! Leave me alone and let me die peacefully already!_

 _Oh, but the Place of No Stars cannot afford to lose such a valuable tool._

 _Tool? Tool?! You think I'm a tool? I'm a real, living cat, you piece of fox-dung! I have feelings, just like you, and right now they are being seriously hurt!_

 _You expect that to stop me?_

 _Umm... Yeah?_

 _You expect me to have pity on you?_

 _Maybe._

 _You think I'll fall for your stupid tricks?_

 _Totally!_

 _Well you're wrong. Now be quiet._

And with that, her invisible mouth was clamped shut. Nightheart ducked inside the WindClan camp, staggering and collapsing in the middle of the clearing. Cats let out gasps and rushed over, worried, but Harestar was the worse. "Who did this to my love?" He howled angrily. "It was a fox," My voice whines weakly. "It ambushed me." "Death to that fox!" Harestar decided, and the gathering warriors let out yowls of agreement. "Death to that fox!"

The medicine cat, Skydapple, was leaning over her, checking her wounds. "You'll live," The medicine cat mewed grudgingly. "But you'll be stuck in my den for a moon."

 _Not a moon... A moon without learning anything? The Dark Forest would kill me!_

Littlecloud wanted to laugh in excitement, in success, but her jaws were still glued shut. "Please, Skydapple, no! Not a moon! Make it half a moon!" Harestar licked her ears comfortingly. "I'm sorry dear, but Skydapple knows best. You'll stay with her for a moon." And that was when they fell unconscious.

Nightheart and Littlecloud awoke three days later, and she realized she could speak again.

 _What if I work with you, tell you a lot of secrets and stuff during the next moon, and then you kill us? A fair compromise._

 _How much would you tell me?_

 _Every single thing I know_

 _Deal._

 _Promise?_

 _I vow on my mother's grave- I killed her actually, but anyways- that as long as you tell me every single thing you know, I will kill us in a moon._

 _Wow, you aren't very smart._

 _Huh?_

 _You said tell you every single thing I know, not just the stuff you need to know. Also, you can read my mind. I don't have to tell you._

 _Fox-dung! Mouse-brain, Fish-breath, Road-kill! I can't believe it! I let you free yourself and stop me._

 _I told you. I vowed I would take control. And now I've done it. Yow owe me._

 _..._

 _It's been a moon, Nightheart. It's time for us to die._

Nightheart stands up. It's the middle of the night, the time we planned for us to jump off the great cliff that lined the edge of the moor. Both of us, being spirits already, will be dead forever, but it's better then being possessed. Possessed. I hate that word. If I could, I would flinch every time I hear it.

Stalking out of the den and into the WindClan camp, we can see Rabbitwing sitting guard.

 _To the right. Now! I know Rabbitwing-_

 _And so do I. After you told me every single thing you knew about him._

 _Well, yeah._

We make it out safely and break into a run, heading blindly in the direction. We both know that even if I want to die and Nightheart has to keep his promise, it'll be really hard for us to actually go over the cliff. I blame survival instincts. And then it happens. Our feet no longer touch the ground, and we're falling, falling, falling towards our second death.

...

"Welcome, Littlecloud."

"Welcome to where?" I'm speaking, I realize, as my- yes, _my-_ mouth moves.

"Welcome to the Third World, where spirits who die the most noble death go. Here, you will live in paradise, watching over StarClan and the Clans. You will have utmost power- telekinesis, elemental powers, reading the future, and more. Here, life is like a dream. You will never fade, unless if your heart turns bad."

"What if I'm done?"

"Done with what?"

"What if I'm done living? What if I want to die here, too?"

"No cat wants to die in the Third World! No one ever has!"

"Yeah, but I do." Before I can hear anything else, I bring up my claws and slash them cross my throat. I'm tired of life. I'm ready to go past StarClan, past the Third World. I ready to become nothing, to no longer think, to no longer feel, to no longer have a body of anything.

...

"Welcome, Littlecloud."

"What? I killed myself?"

"Exactly. This is the World of Depression, where spirits go when they commit suicide."

"Can I die here?"

"Nope! But we all fade over a few million years, once we've had plenty of time to feel bad for ourselves."

"Great StarClan, this is stupid!" I curse, flattening my ears.

"Hi, Littlecloud," A voice mews. An awfully familiar voice, at that. I turn around.

"Hi, Nightheart."

You know? I can work with this, waiting for a while with Nightheart. Though we hated each other at first, we've shared too much to continue it. Nightheart's my friend now, the cat who I truly care for. I guess being possessed worked out in the end.


	17. It Still Haunts Me

**It Still Haunts Me:**

Flowerstorm huddled in her nest, thinking quietly as she waited for someone to get her and tell her what patrol she was on. Yesterday she had gone hunting, and she had thought about the same things as now, as with the day before and the day before that. Flowerstorm had found herself in the cycle of this thought for almost two years now.

Jaggedstar had told her that if she didn't step up her game, she would have to be punished, maybe even banished. But how was she to stop herself from thinking, from going over the same horrible thoughts day after day after day, season after season? How was Flowerstorm supposed to stop the grief, to fill in the hole that had been dug into her heart two years ago, on that dreaded leaf-bare day?

No, there was no way a cat could ever stop a heartbreak like hers from ruining them, tearing them apart from the inside. It would be impossible for any cat to keep going in situations like that. Even a strong, brave warrior, like the cat Flowerstorm used to be. Yes, used to be. Now she was broken, shattered into a million pieces. With every step she took, she felt the pang of his death. The trembling, ever-lasting pang of grief Thornflight, her beloved, and the terrible churning mix of emotions that she had felt when he died.

When Thornflight died saving _her._ It was her fault that he was dead, her fault that she suffered so. If she hadn't insisted on playing games at the top of the icy cliff. If she hadn't been more careful. If she hadn't been of the verge of falling, of plummeting to her death. Then Thornflight wouldn't have died. And now Flowerstorm lived with the punishment she had awarded herself.

"Hey!" A brown tabby head poked into the warrior's den, amber eyes twinkling. "C'mon, Flowerstorm! There's a clan meeting!"

Heaving herself to her paws, Flowerstorm trudged out of her den. What was the point of going to the clan meeting when she knew she wouldn't care about what Jaggedstar said to everyone? It just showed the other warriors how every step she took made her wince, remembering how Thornflight once walked right next to her all the time, their tails entwined as they purred and nuzzled each other affectionately.

She sat down and cocked her head, knowing that if she didn't listen to at least part of it, Jaggedstar would be able to kick her out of the clan. "This morning," Jaggedstar was howling, burning with anger. "FireClan claimed the cliff as their own. Now, we fight for it, and take it back! There will be three battle patrols, led by Morningshade, Dewleap, and I. My patrol will be visible. We will be attacked first, and we will let them drive us towards the edge of the cliff. I have decided that it will be Hazeltail and Brightwhisper's job to stay on the ends and make sure that once the second patrol attacks, we can escape the edge to help them drive FireClan back. If a second patrol joins FireClan, or if we are in trouble, the third patrol is to ambush the FireClan cats and help us win the fight."

Flowerstorm nodded half-heartedly as Jaggedstar went on. "On my patrol, I want Lionclaw, Treeheart, Roselily, Silverstripe, and Flowerstorm, plus Hazeltail and Brightwhisper. Morningshade and Dewleap, you may choose your own cats, but make sure Whiteear and three other warriors stay at camp just in case." As the warriors broke into groups, Flowerstar padded wearily up to Jaggedstar. "Are you sure you want me on battle patrol?" she asked. "I'm fine with staying at camp."

Jaggedstar bared his teeth at her. "You've been going lightly for two years now, Flowerstorm. You're fighting, and to the death if you have to. You better match me step by step if you want to stay in this clan." He snarled. The other cats in Flowerstorm's group gathered around her, and Roselily bounced to her. "It's been forever since anything this exciting has happened!" The brown tabby squealed. Flowerstorm nodded, not listening as the she-cat kept on rambling about how awesome it would be.

It was sun-high by the time they reached the cliff, and the throng of cats broke into their patrols and took their places. Flowerstorm shakily helped the others set border markers, and was delighted when they were able to lie down and rest. "What are you doing here?" A black she-cat hissed, emerging onto the open cliff side. Ranks and ranks of warriors filled the space behind her, almost as if she had brought her own clan.

"We're taking what belongs to us, Shadestar," Jaggedstar hissed. Shadestar's eyes narrowed to slits. "Why, why, why, Jaggedstar. You really chose the wrong place to fight. This is a cliff, and you and your warriors are on the side of the drop." She and her warriors took slow, carefully calculated steps forwards. "Whereas my cats and I are on the side where we can't fall off, and we have you cut off from the land. I'll give you the choice to surrender now, you fools, before I kill you all."

Instead of letting Jaggedstar answer, Flowerstorm let out a cry of rage and hurtled forwards, onto Shadestar. "My mate died here!" she screeched. "And you talk like this about this spot, you fox-heart!" She knocked Shadestar to the ground and lunged for the black leader's open, exposed belly. She was met with a set of kicking hind paws, claws extended, and dodged just in time to avoid injury. She could hear her clan mates charging into battle as she grappled with Shadestar, trying to pin her down.

Her clan mates were slowly backing backwards, luring FireClan closer and closer to the edge. Hazeltail and Brightwhisper were fighting fiercely, keeping the ends of the line open for escape from the cliff. Flowerstorm let out a yowl as Shadestar raked her claws down her flank, and ripped off the black she-cat's ear with her teeth. "This if for my heartache!" she spat, before gouging Shadestar's stomach. "And this is for my pain!" With that, she rolled them towards the edge of the cliff, not letting the leader stop their momentum.

"Stop!" Shadestar shrieked. "Stop rolling- you'll kill us both!" "I don't need to live," Flowerstorm snarled. "I've suffered more pain then a thousand deaths." With that, she felt the ground vanish underneath them.

Yet she didn't fall. Shadestar was clinging to her body, her eyes shut. Flowerstorm looked up to see a familiar brown tabby face, with those darling amber eyes. "Thornflight!" she exclaimed. "Thornflight, my love!" The tom couldn't speak, since he was hanging on to her scruff, but he stared into her eyes.

Then Jaggedstar padded up, and Thornflight vanished to be replaced by Roselily. "Good try," Jaggedstar sneered. "Look's like you've got to go down with Shadestar, Flowerstorm." With that, he shoved Roselily off the cliff, making all three cats fall, heading towards their death. "You too, Roselily!"

 _Immortals._

 _Like the river, always flowing._

 _Always moving, always eroding._

 _Lost where no light ever reaches._

 _Tossed between waves of endless tears._

 _Rooted to land by single vine._

 _But still falling to doom with every cry._

 _No will to live, no will to die._

 _Stuck on thorny branches._

 _With single star in sight._

There. On the wind. A voice was whispering... To her. About her. Her life was pinned to the poem, yet so was their fall. Flowerstorm could no longer feel Shadestar or Roselily.

 _Time._

 _Stretched like skin, never fitting._

 _Quickly changing, never staying._

 _No place in life to grieve forever._

 _No choice to keep on loving._

 _Every time something has been taken away._

 _Constantly losing, never gaining._

 _Drained of strength and skill._

 _Like a pelt without a body._

 _Just left to be refilled._

A tune was playing from somewhere, an echo of herself.

But she could not listen to it; Flowerstorm plummeted onto the bottom of the cliff, her neck snapped, and felt everything go black.


	18. Tainted Love

**Tainted Love:**

 _Every ray of warmth for another,_

 _Every step to fulfill myself,_

 _Has brought me to a tainted spring,_

 _Where, helplessly, I drink._

 _The times I comfort myself with a presence,_

 _Brings a secret, a hidden procession,_

 _Countlessly caught in bad decisions,_

 _That forever poison my heart._

 _When destiny leads me to second chances,_

 _Full of endless, countless choices,_

 _Always I trip,_

 _Without faith,_

 _Without friends,_

 _And am preyed on,_

 _Alone,_

 _In the darkness of the sun._

 _The place I call home,_

 _Hidden from the sky,_

 _Hidden from my heart,_

 _Hidden from my dreams,_

 _Never lasts forever._

 _There is always a day,_

 _Where something must change,_

 _And something I treasure must decay._

 _After lapping at my tainted spring,_

 _I am happy to let darkness welcome me,_

 _Let it hold me close and not let go,_

 _Bringing relief when it comes to friend and foe._

 _One day my heart was pure and true,_

 _The next it was following the path of love,_

 _To where no one will ever know,_

 _Trying to make my dreams be real,_

 _Crushed what he really feels,_

 _To discover the secret only two know,_

 _And be lost and forgotten,_

 _In the place I call home._

Silver trotted through the forest, heading back to her den after a good hunt. A rabbit dangled from her jaws, along with two mice and a shrew. She wasn't sure what she would do with the extra prey- there was no snow to use to keep it fresh for later, since it was green-leaf, and she certainly couldn't eat that much. She rounded the bend by the stream, preparing to leap over, only to run face-first into a dark gray tom. His eyes were narrowed as he jumped away from her, yet he kept his tone even as he spoke. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Tilting her head, Silver couldn't help but notice how well groomed his fur was, and the way his muscles rippled under his coat.

"I'm heading to my den, and you don't need to know my name," Silver retorted, setting down her prey. "But I'd be happy to give my name if you said yours as well, and what you were doing here." The tom's claws ripped at the grass as he replied. "My, um, my name is Cloud. I live near here. Did you know that that group of cats called ThunderClan expanded their territory this sun high all the way to this stream?" His voice was hard and cold, like he was telling her he didn't like her, but the way he had stuttered made the whole incident seem cute.

She looked Cloud up and down, from his nicked ears to his unsheathed claws to his lashing tail. "No," Silver replied, finally realizing what this meant. "They can't! I live there!" "Not anymore," Cloud responded gently. "They'll fight you, and clan warriors are very strong, fierce, and skilled. You'll be defeated easily." He bent forwards, as if he was going to give her a comforting lick, but then pulled back, eyes hardening and trashing his sympathy. "Go on," he added. "Turn back now."

Cloud glanced at her prey. "She must have a family back at her den..." he murmured quietly, as if she wasn't supposed to hear that. He glanced at her. "Do you live with someone?" he asked. "That's an awful lot of prey for one cat!" Silver shook her head. "No. Would you like to have some, though? There's no way I can eat it all." Cloud did seem a little skinny. He nodded, and she pushed the mice and the shrew towards him before taking a bite out of her rabbit. "Here's a good place to eat. We might as well get to know each other. Do you have a mate or kits?"

"Uh, no." Cloud mewed swiftly. "I, um, live across the new ThunderClan territory. I was just coming across to visit a friend when I ran into a patrol putting down border markers." He took a bite of the mouse, licking his lips. "Oh, who it is? Crow? Blossom? Frosty? Maybe Oak, but he lives awfully far away from the stream." Silver asked, remembering her best friend, Rain, with a pang. The silver tabby had died only last moon.

They continued talking as they ate, but Cloud kept on stuttering and seemed reluctant to talk to her, almost as if he was hiding something. Oh well. She didn't really mind, especially since she was technically a stranger to him, even though they knew each other now. "Well," Cloud mewed, standing up. "I'd better head home now. Hope you get a good new den." It was almost night, Silver realized with a pang, glancing up. "Wait!" she cried. "You have to help me build my den! It's almost dark, and you know that's when the badgers come out!"

Cloud sighed, treading the ground and glanced over his shoulder at the stream, eyes narrowed. "Please! You have to!" she added. "I have a long journey back to my den." Cloud told her. "I really have to leave now." "Then let me come and sleep with you tonight!" "Uh, no, I guess I'll help you build your den?" Cloud retorted immediately. What was wrong with her sleeping in his den, if he really didn't want to help her build her den? Oh well. Silver still thought Cloud was a kind cat.

After picking a strong bramble thicket, Silver and Cloud began hollowing it out, stripping the bush of its inner branches and making space for her nest and living space. Cloud's broad shoulders made it hard for him to get into her den, but they were strong and enduring as they worked. Silver's own lean frame let her slip easily, untangled, amongst the thorns, and they made a good team.

It was dark by the time they finished, using the picked brambles to make a little barrier at the entrance, and also to strengthen the walls. Badgers could be heard just out of sight, and Silver shivered, staying inside her new bramble den. Cloud spun around outside, glaring at her. "Now look at what you've done!" He hissed. "It's night time, and the badgers are out! I'll never make it back to the wa- to my den alive!" "Sleep in my den, then," Silver mewed. "You helped me build it- we'll just spread out the moss in my nest. You have the right to sleep here, and I've no right to stop you."

"Fine," Cloud growled. "I'll stay. But I'm leaving first thing in the morning!" Silver nodded, leading him back inside. "Of course." She dipped her head and used her paws to spread out the moss until they could both sleep side by side. It would be a little squished, but the more room they had, the less moss was layered for padding underneath them. The two clambered inside and lay down, and Silver found herself barely breathing, just listening to Cloud's breaths as they came and went, smelling his now-familiar scent, and watching his flanks gently rise and fall with every breath.

Silver woke to find Cloud had already left, and when she headed out of the den, she could see that he had swept away all his paw prints, as well as all the pine needles, branches, and twigs. "Thanks, Cloud," she murmured, grabbing a bunch of the twigs in her jaws. She could reinforce her den with them, which would be her goal for the next moon. Until her den was thickly walled and stronger then a badger, her schedule was den, hunt, eat, den, eat, sleep.

By sun high, she had finished weaving the twigs into her den walls and left to hunt, heading towards the ThunderClan border in hopes of possibly finding Cloud- or his paw steps. He must have left before the dew burned off, since she couldn't find his scent. Silver skidded to a halt at the stream, hearing voices, and ducked into the ferns. A group of five cats emerged into the open on the opposite side of the stream, and she barely stopped herself from gasping. Cloud! Cloud was with that ThunderClan patrol!

"This is where that foolish rogue shared some of her fresh-kill with me!" Cloud was snorting. "And then she made me help her build her new den!" The gray tom next to him laughed. "I can't believe you, Stormheart! Why did you even eat her fresh-kill in the first place?" "Hey! Graystorm, you know why I ate it," Cloud responded. The patrol continued chatting, marking their borders and heading off into the trees.

Only then did Silver realize her ears had flattened and her teeth were bared in a silent snarl. Cloud couldn't be ThunderClan! He couldn't be Stormheart! He was a rouge. And even then, why did she care so much? What was up with her that made her want to shred the black-and-white she-cat who had been mooning over Cloud? Sighing, Silver lay down, head on her paws and her hunt forgotten.

A moon and a half later, Silver padded next to the stream again, almost the exact spot where she had spotted that patrol so many days ago. She flinched again as she thought of that day, the day she had realized that she had fallen in love with Cloud.

Then there was a screech, and then a roar. The sounds came from over the border, not too deep into ThunderClan territory. Silver stiffened as a yowl rang out, making her bristle. She knew that voice! That was Cloud! Leaping over the stream, she hared into the forest, following the noise until she broke into a clearing. Two badgers, both full grown and snarling, were cornering Cloud at the side of a small cliff. If Cloud were to climb it, they would kill him. If he didn't? He had a slight chance of escape.

Silver pounced onto the closest badgers, snarling and digging her paws into the badger's fur. As it swung its head around to snap at her, she raked the badger's cheek with her claws, and nipped its ears with her jaws. The badger snarled, shaking its back in a fierce attempt to knock her off, but Silver stubbornly dangled onto the badger's back with one claw, scrabbling to get a grip before her claw was torn out. The badger twisted and swiped her with its front paws, throwing her to the side of the clearing.

Red and black threatened to swamp her vision, and Silver struggled to her paws. She could hazily see the badgers cornering Cloud again, preparing for the killing blow. Rage and love sharped her senses and gave her strength. "Get off of him!" She lunged, and as one of the badgers turned around to deal with her, she flung herself onto it's face, clawing and scratching, hissing and growling, biting and nipping, sinking fang and claws into every piece of flesh she could find and tearing.

The badger roared, flung her off, and fled. Silver turned to the other badger, jumping onto its back. Cloud was scratching at its face, and together they sent their other foe running. She collapsed onto the ground next to Cloud, her strength wearing out.

She woke in her nest at her own den, with a squirrel set next to her. Silver purred, knowing that Cloud must have brought her home and caught her the prey. Her body ached all over from where the badgers had batted her with its large, heavy paws, but she ate the squirrel anyways and headed outside, wanting to reach the ThunderClan border. Silver could get a drink and possibly see Cloud.

At the stream, Silver found Cloud waiting, but on her side, not the ThunderClan side. "What were you doing in ThunderClan territory?" Cloud asked tensely. Silver leaned against a tree for support. "Helping you!" she hissed, suddenly angry. "And don't bother with your lies, _Stormheart!_ I know you're a ThunderClan warrior!" Cloud- no, Stormheart- stepped back, eyes wide. "How did you know?" he murmured, before straightening. "Well? Why would you care? You're happy a rogue, and I'm happy a clan cat, with my clan mates looking out for me just like how I look out for them."

Curiosity struck her. "Tell me more," she mewed. "Tell me more about the clans and clan life." The conversation began, and it lasted till sun high, when Silver stood up. "Take me to Pinestar!" she mewed. Stormheart glared at her. "Why?"

"I want to join the clan!"

"Why do you want to join the clan?"

"I like the sound of clan life. Besides, then I'll get to be with you."

"Why would you want to be with me?"

"Because I love you!"

"I don't love _you_."

"So?"

"So we'll never be mates. Joining ThunderClan won't make me love you, either."

"Still. I want to become a warrior."

"You'll see me everyday and know I don't love you back," Stormheart warned, his voice suddenly gentle. "Are you up to that?"

"Yes, Stormheart. I'm ready."

She followed Stormheart along a narrow path lined with brambles and thorns. Her green eyes shone with warmth towards Stormheart, and Silver leapt protectively in front of him when a fierce rustling came from a nearby shrub. Stormheart cast her a glare and pushed past her. For a moment, yellow eyes clashed with green, and everything was silent. Then, the yellow-eyed tom let out a hiss and continued on. "Stop acting like that," he growled to her. "You know I don't share your feelings." Silver flinched before bristling. "So I can't even act like I care?' She raised one paw with a threat before thinking better of it. "Exactly." He nodded and began to walk faster. "Remember, I only agreed to do this because you wanted to join the Clan." With cold eyes, he nodded towards a mesh of thorns. "Look; there's the entrance."

Silver perked up, her green eyes sparkling. "I can't wait!" she squealed, before clawing her own nose with sharp claws. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I know this is hard for you. I should be more considerate, even if you don't like me back." Stormheart nodded before vanishing amongst the prickles. Yellow eyes shimmered in the dark, and when a tail tip snaked out of the thorns for a heart-beat, she plunged in not wanting to get left behind.

He led her through a twisting path in the thorns until they came to a clearing. Suddenly, Stormheart stiffened as three warriors emerged from a hole in the ground. "RiverClan warriors!" he exclaimed, racing up to the three cats. The first one was white with black ears and blue eyes. The second was ginger-and-white, her amber eyes glowing, and the third was a pale gray tom with dark green eyes. "Stormheart," The ginger-and-white she-cat mewed evenly. "We meet again." she dipped her head before adding, "I thought you died." Her eyes twinkled nervously, and when the white cat gently nipped her shoulder, she flinched as if the pain was much greater.

"Get away from him, Splashwing. You know his story." The white tom growled. Splashwing nodded, her ears twitching. "I know, Iceclaw. But you know who he is!" She moved towards Stormheart, but Iceclaw pulled her back. The pale gray tom thrust himself between the two. "Look, we shouldn't start arguing in the middle of an enemy camp. Come on, you two, let's get going." Iceclaw cuffed the tom, eyes blazing. "Look, Palefrost!" he snapped. "Mind your own business!" Splashwing glanced at Stormheart once before bounding to the thorns. Slowly, Iceclaw and Palefrost followed her. Stormheart watched them leave sadly, his yellow eyes almost green with emotion. Silver padded up and pressed against him. "Look, it's okay, Cloud," she murmured. Stormheart jumped. "Don't call me that!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "You know my name. It's Stormheart. Now let's speak to Pinestar before you waste all of my time!" She followed him to the hole in the ground and hesitantly followed him in. "Are you sure he'll accept me?" she asked nervously. Stormheart growled. "Just get in here!"

They headed down the hole until they reached a cave, where a dark ginger she-cat sat in a corner by a mossy nest. "Stormheart," she mewed, her voice silky smooth. "What do you have here?" "Her name is Silver. She has asked to join ThunderClan." Stormheart responded. Silver gulped. "I promise I'll do my best. I'll do all the apprentice duties, if you'd like."

"You may join, Silver. But I will not give you your warrior name until tomorrow. Until then, Stornheart shall take care of you. He will show you our territory and introduce you to some of your future clan mates." Pinestar responded. Silver and Stormheart dipped their heads before turning around and leaving the cave.

Silverlight weaved through the throng of cats, trying to find Stormheart through the jumbled scents of all the clans. Where was he? The gathering was so noisy, so full of cats, that all she wanted to do was find Stormheart and stick near him until the gathering was over. Finally, she caught sight of his pelt, and hurried over, sticking just in earshot. Stormheart wouldn't want her to be too close to him.

He was talking to that Splashwing cat. "Do you remember that rogue that was with me when you, Iceclaw, and Palefrost came to see Pinestar? She joined the clan. Her name is Silverlight now. And guess what? She's fallen head over heels for me. Not that I like a single hair on her pelt." Splashwing reared onto her hind paws for a second and glanced around. "Is she here? Because she needs to know that we're mates and that nothing she does can change that." "I don't know," Stormheart spat. "But I sure do hope she can see us now."

"Her name doesn't sound quite right," Splashwing admitted. "Though it _is_ pretty." "I know what you're talking about. It feels just like silverpelt, and no cat should ever have that name." Stormheart licked her ear. "But don't worry about her, or me falling in love with her. As far as I'm concerned, she's just a flea in our pelts waiting to be flicked off. And I'm keeping my distance. I never go on the same patrols with her, and our nests are on opposite sides of the den. Whenever she gets too close, I spread a new rumor about her. She's gotten the idea." "Good," Splashwing purred. "I'm glad."

Silverlight lay in her nest in the warriors den, an infected wound from a skirmish with ShadowClan had confined her to the warriors den, and once again her thoughts trailed to the gathering. The gathering where she had discovered Stormheart's betrayal. Stormheart of ThunderClan was mates with Splashwing of RiverClan, and Silverlight, former rogue but now warrior of ThunderClan was helplessly in love with Stormheart, who hated her. That was her situation. No, her situation was a tainted love.

 _Every ray of warmth for another,_

 _Every step to fulfill myself,_

 _Has brought me to a tainted spring,_

 _Where, helplessly, I drink._

 _The times I comfort myself with a presence,_

 _Brings a secret, a hidden procession,_

 _Countlessly caught in bad decisions,_

 _That forever poison my heart._

 _When destiny leads me to second chances,_

 _Full of endless, countless choices,_

 _Always I trip,_

 _Without faith,_

 _Without friends,_

 _And am preyed on,_

 _Alone,_

 _In the darkness of the sun._

 _The place I call home,_

 _Hidden from the sky,_

 _Hidden from my heart,_

 _Hidden from my dreams,_

 _Never lasts forever._

 _There is always a day,_

 _Where something must change,_

 _And something I treasure must decay._

 _After lapping at my tainted spring,_

 _I am happy to let darkness welcome me,_

 _Let it hold me close and not let go,_

 _Bringing relief when it comes to friend and foe._

 _One day my heart was pure and true,_

 _The next it was following the path of love,_

 _To where no one will ever know,_

 _Trying to make my dreams be real,_

 _Crushed what he really feels,_

 _To discover the secret only two know,_

 _And be lost and forgotten,_

 _In the place I call home._

Silverlight scowled. The way her thoughts came together so smoothly, into a poem, a tale, reminded her of the way her mother told her stories when she was a kit. But she was not lying in the warriors den so that she could be nostalgic; she was here to rest and heal so that she could hunt for her clan sooner then later. Resting her chin on her paws, she closed her eyes.


	19. Letting the Hate Out

**Letting the Hate Out:**

Hazelfeather sighed as Firestar padded, head and tail high, across the ThunderClan camp. _Why did he have to become leader?_ she thought to herself. _He used to be a kittypet, yet he's in two prophecies. A lot of his kin are in prophecies, too. What's so important about Firestar?_

 _WHY DOES EVERYONE LOVE HIM SO MUCH!_

She noticed the way how his eyes darken when he looked at Brambleclaw, the deputy. _You see Tigerstar when you look at him,_ Hazelfeather thought. _But he's way better then Tigerstar. Can't you get over it?_

Licking her nose, she watched through narrowed eyes as he continued to pad out of camp. Hazelfeather, wanting to know what he would do, followed him out, making sure the ginger tom didn't notice her.

 _Your best friend fell in love with a RiverClan warrior, got stolen by twolegs, and then returned with a replacement mate. Your mate hated you at first, but now she loves you fiercely. Originally, you were in love with a medicine cat who you barely knew. Why does everything seem to center around you? You're not any sort of super amazing cat no one could live without._

 _Why, if Tigerstar became leader, things might have been better off! ThunderClan would have been made feared and respected, and it would be Tigerstar's main priority to keep it strong to fight battles. We would have more territory to hunt on, more prey to eat, more herbs to gather and use._

 _You? You're a soft-hearted kittypet. Um, how exactly did you become a warrior when you always showoff your VULNERABLE BELLY during a fight? It's happened multiple times, Firestar. Don't you ever learn?_

Firestar stopped at the border to untamed territory, and Hazelfeather crept into a crouch behind him. "Hazelfeather?" he asked, surprised, turning around. She flung herself at him. Shocked, he fell backwards, his pale bely exposed to the sky. She lashed out with her front claws, raking them downwards and slicing open Firestar's belly. Shrieking, Firestar tried to get to his paws, but he feel over and became still.

Hazelfeather licked the blood off her claws. "You had it coming to you," she whispered, a faint trickle of sorrow creeping into your voice. "Honestly, I promise I didn't want to kill you... But Brambleclaw will be a good leader, and..."

Her leader raised his head weakly. He was on his next life. "I forgive you, Hazelfeather," he whispered, staggering to his paws. "I have had doubts myself." _Yeah, right! Now you forgive me for BREAKING THE WARROR CODE AND KILLING YOU? Forget whatever slight grief I may be feeling. You cannot live past that._

"Die!" She cried, lunging forwards and snatching his throat in her jaws. Then she tore at his ears, then his belly. And Firestar fell limp again. This time he did not come back. Hazelfeather heard rustles- a patrol was coming. She had no time to hide her deed- or did she? There was a fox den very close by. Hazelfeather dashed for it, grabbing dung and rolling with her paws to Firestar's death sight. Then, she spread the scent around the clearing. Now it was time for her part. Biting down on a stick, Hazelfeather made a long gash on her side to make it look like she had found and driven off the fox.

"Hazelfeather!" Mousewhisker exclaimed, dashing into the clearing. Cloudtail, Thornclaw, and Spiderleg followed him. "Hazelfeather, what happened?" She curled her lip. _Oh, just the murder of our fox-dung leader, Firestar. Let's just head home and tell Bramblestar._

"How did my uncle die?" Cloudtail snarled, scenting the air. "Fox attack. I found him fighting. I drove off the fox, but it was too late." Hazelfeather's voice cracked with the pain of the wound she had given herself, jagged just like the type a fox gave. Thornclaw and Cloudtail carried Firestar back to camp, while Spiderleg and Mousewhisker helped Hazelfeather.

 **Death to Firestar!**

 **No offense to Fire fans, but even the Erins' don't like him too much. They say he's a little too perfect. So maybe now you see the other side of Firestar. Maybe now you see how he is a gary-stu, just like Starstar/gleam/etc is a mary-sue. Anyways, yeah. Bye!**


	20. A Deadly Decision

**A Deadly Decision:**

"ShadowClan, attack!"

I jump to my paws, shaking. It was the middle of the night! Who would get out of their nests n the middle of the night to attack their neighbors?

That's right. ShadowClan. Strangely, their rival clan hadn't marked their borders today. Now ThunderClan knew why. They had been resting before they could ambush their camp. My mate, Dapplestorm, is next to me, quivering. She's expecting my kits in a few moons, but it's too early for her to move to the nursery, no matter how much I want her to. Besides, even ShadowClan wouldn't attack kits or nursing queens! Or would they?

"Get to the nursery!" I hiss, shoving Dapplestorm with my muzzle. "You may be able to hunt, but you are in no shape to fight!"

For once, she doesn't argue. I push my way out of the warrior's den to an alarmingly bloody scene. ShadowClan almost all their warriors, by the looks of it, to attack us with, and I won't deny it. Facing so many ShadowClan warriors makes me afraid. Every cat in ThunderClan is raised with the nursery tales about evil ShadowClan cats coming to eat you and kill and torture you, tossing you too the foxes once they've clawed all the strength and wits out of you. And now it seems like the stories are true, with dark shapes writhing around the clearing, eerily glowing eyes reflecting the moonlight. Battle cries ring out every few moments, and the screeches feel my ears. My mind is full of horrid visions, of ShadowClan cats skinning my clan mates, of my whole clan lying dead, on the ground, without a single casualty from our attackers.

One yowl tramples the others. "What is this attack for?" I recognize the voice of my sister, Skystar, leader of the clan. "Why have you attacked our camp?" "ShadowClan needs more territory. Who else to attack but the ThunderClan weaklings?" Another voice responded. I narrowed my eyes, rearing onto my hind paws until I could see the tom who had said that. Thornheart, ShadowClan's fiercest warrior. The deputy, Darkstorm, stood beside Thornheart, but he was not my target. Darkstorm, luckily for him, was not the one who had killed my parents, murdering them in cold blood before my very eyes.

Plunging through the howling, tussling crowd of cats, I drop into a crouch and creep up behind Thornheart, relieved when Darkstorm plunges into battle, locked with another cat. I don't bother to see who that cat is- I'm just happy I don't have to fight both of ShadowClan's strongest warriors at the same time.

When StarClan was handing out gifts, I was given a reckless sense of courage and a big head. Yowling, I leap for Thornheart a moment after he realizes I'm there, meaning he's had the time to turn around and use one big, broad paw to send me flying. My chest stings where he raked his claws across it, and the place where I hit my head on the ground as I landed is already aching, causing black spots in my vision.

Thornheart stalks over. "I was right," he sneered, looming over me. "ThunderClan cats really are weaklings!" I try to struggle, flailing my paws. A few times I managed to snag his fur, but I didn't draw blood. He pins me down, preparing to finish me off and send me to join my parents in StarClan, but a caterwauling bundle of tortoiseshell fur slams into him, knocking Thonrheart off of me. I manage to struggle to my paws, forcing myself to ignore the pain and the spots dancing across my vision and instead focus on what's going on around me.

"Go and help the others," the she-cat hisses. I'm fairly sure that it's Dapplestorm's mother, Spottedfur. Her scent is familiar, and she has the same twinkling amber eyes when she looks at me. "Thanks," I reply, before adding, "I will." Turning around, I scan the battlefield, trying to figure out who needs help most. It turns out to be Foxpaw, one of our newest apprentices. He's been cornered by two ShadowClan warriors, tossed like prey between the two.

Summoning strength from my reckless courage, I pound over to Foxpaw, pouncing on the first cat's back. I realize it's Redfeather who I'm clawing now, with his dark red tabby fur almost black in the dim light. When I look at our shadow, all I can see is a moving bundle of fur, as if Redfeather and I are one. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Foxpaw scrambling away to safety and the second cat, a she-cat named Ivydapple, stalks towards me.

My vision is growing darker, slowly but steadily, and I know I don't have too much longer to fight. I jump off Redfeather and hurtle away, heading for the apprentice den to see if Foxpaw made it back there alive. "Help!" Two screeches cut through the air at the same time. One belongs to Skystar. The other- What have I done? How could I not have seen that it was Dapplestorm who saved me from Thornheart?

I follow the direction of her voice, wishing their was some way I could save both my leader, who was on her last life, and my mate. But Dapplestorm was expecting kits, and if I could only choose one cat, it would have to be her. I reach Dapplestorm too late. Thornheart has already raked his claws over her throat and left. "No!" I wail, collapsing next to Dapplestorm. "Not Dapplestorm! Why didn't I make sure it was really Spottedfur earlier?" He burrowed his muzzle in her sweet-smelling fur, but the scent of death was already creeping over her.

The one cat who I have loved most for seasons is dead, and so are our unborn kits. But my sister can still use saving. I raise my head, staggering to my paws. Now two different sets of claws slice at my heart; the pain of my wounds and the pain of my grief, both sharp and fresh as the chilly night air. Weaving through my fighting clan mates again, I lunge at the ShadowClan deputy as he crouches over Skystar. Darkstorm yowls, startled, and rolls, trying to squish me, but I take a gulp of air and cling on, going limp.

He staggers under the sudden burden of my weight, before twisting around his head and nipping my paw. I let ago, thumping onto the ground. In a flash, Darkstorm is on me. Raking his belly with my hind paws, I kick him off and turn to Skystar, only to see her crawling into the shadows. Her eyes are dull, and she opens her mouth as if she is about to call defeat.

This can't happen. Quick as lightning, I turn around and flash at Darkstorm, raking his throat. It might have broken the code, but it has saved our clan. Ivydapple lets out a cry of shock, and then one of terror. "Darkstorm! Darkstorm's been killed! Retreat!" "ShadowClan, retreat!" echoed Thornheart, dashing over to nuzzle Darkstorm's forehead before turning to glare at me. "That was my father!" "You killed my parents!" I retorted. "It's only fair! Besides. I didn't know!"

Growling, he takes a step towards me before calling to Redfeather and jerking his head towards Darkstorm. "Help me carry my father back to camp." Redfeather nods, hurrying over before glancing, his expressing full of rage and fury, at me. I meet it evenly. My mate is dead, and the tiny lives inside of her. ShadowClan's problems will never mean anything to me, the horrid murderers. At least Skystar is still here. I do not doubt that Sootcloud would make a good leader, but the less change, the less bloodshed, the clan goes through, the better. And even without that, Skystar means more to me then any other cat, besides Dapplestorm and our unborn kits.

"Dapplestorm's dead!" The horrified cry rings out. I spin around. It's Snowwhisker, her brother. "Thornheart murdered her," I added, my voice raw with grief. "I-I saw him!" For a few moments, everything is silent. Then, Skystar slowly pads forwards and drags Dapplestorm's body to the middle of the clearing. "Tonight we shall grieve, "She mewed hoarsely. "Tomorrow she shall be buried. Sootcloud, please organize a hunting patrol of the cats least injured. Everyone else, see Featherwing immediately." Quietly, the procession begins as the shock slowly sinks in. A few cats who were close to Dapplestorm, like me, collapse to the ground in grief, determined not to miss a moment of grieving. The other's just widen their eyes sadly, their expressions hollow, as they trudge to the medicine cat. Great StarClan, what have I ever done to deserve this?

"Sometimes it is just a cat's time. You can do nothing to stop it; destiny is impenetrable. She died as she lived, fighting to protect her loved ones and her clan. Dapplestorm saved you. Would you rather she die of greencough? Unlike when it comes from sickness, her death was quick and clean. She had little time to suffer the pain; Be glad; She will not want to see you like this. Stand strong- be proud- like the cat she fell in love with. Serve your clan always, and look to the stars when you need her help. You are one of the clan's strongest warriors. We cannot afford to lose you. Every cat grieves for some cat or another, but life continues on, and you must get used to it. Dapplestorm loves you; You love her. Accept life as it has come, for it is a gift to at all. Just like in Dapplestorm and your kit's case, lives can be killed before they have even started. You have lived your life with your love. Now it is time to let her go. Peacefully. Do not struggle. She is safe in the stars."

The whispers came smoothly, from a familiar voice, but I don't bother looking up or sniffing the air to check who it is. I will _never_ forget Dapplestorm, even if it means I go blind and mute and deaf. No matter how much I suffer, how much I go through, I will always miss Dapplestorm. Her death has broken my heart, and I will never let it heal. If I stop thinking about her for one moment... I am afraid she shall slip away. Slip away from me and from my clan, without my thoughts keeping her with us. "I'm sorry, Dapplestorm," I whisper. "I should have gotten there sooner."


	21. Take Me Away

**Take Me Away:**

Snowkit coughed, lying in his nest. Of all the things that could ever happen to a kit, he had been given the worst. He had been awarding a racking torture, endless suffering, from birth. At six and a half moons old, he had no apprentice name. His white pelt clung to his frame, and Snowkit barely had the strength to raise his head, nevertheless eat. At two moons old, he had been confined to the medicine, and the day after, his nest. Snowkit didn't the names of his clanmates- only Leafstar, Rosewing, and his mother, Palebreeze.

The medicine den was his home. The herbs smells were familiar, and he was slowly catching on to the usages of herbs, and other medicine cat stuff. Snowkit knew, deep in his heart though, that all he wanted to do was train to be a warrior with the brother and sister he didn't know anything about. The young kit had merely been tossed into his nest before he could meet others, before he could learn what life should be. Instead, the only way of life he had ever known was a coughing, painful one.

He shivered. For the past moon, he had been constantly cold, but no matter how much moss was in his nest, he always woke up freezing. Palebreeze padded, stone-faced, into the den. His mother always wore a frown, as if nothing in the world could make her happy. But Snowkit knew the thing that would make her smile- if she could see him, healthy for the first time in his life- playing with his brother and sister. Where he belonged. Not stuck in the medicine cat den, smelling of the herbs that failed to treat the strange sickness that had always had hold of him.

When Sunkit had been stolen by an owl the other moon, Snowkit had wished he had been in the kit's place. Then he would be out of his misery. "S-nowk-kit." Palebreeze's voice cracked in the face of her sick kit. He raised his muzzle, managing to speak. "M-m-mot-t-ther," he rasped. "I-I-I'm glad-d-d t-to see y-y-y-you. H-how-w is the c-clan?" Palebreeze paced back and forth at the line that Rosewing had drawn on the floor of her den, a fox-length away from Snowkit, showing how close guests were allowed to go to Snowkit.

"I would like some visitors," he had begged at three moons old. "Why can't I meet my clanmates?" "You're too sick," the response had come. "the day you are healthy, you may meet them." Now Snowkit feared that day would never come. At most, it would be the day of his death that he could meet the clan. Hidden from the clan by the ivy covering the entrance of the medicine cat den, the white tom would always live his life alone.

Alone in the world of tears and sadness, tears and sadness, tears and sadness. A world where the sun doesn't shine. A world where there is no warmth, no happiness, no health. Where everyone in hungry and depressed, sickly and weak. Where there is no one their to love you, comfort you, be with you. No one to sit out the cold nights with you after you have a nightmare. No one to calm you down whenever you have a big scare. No one. Nothing. All alone.

This world was cold and lonely, cold and lonely, cold and lonely. Yet he shed no tears; he did not cry out. He suffered every drop of pain on the inside, refusing to cry. Refusing to show how saw how desolately lonely and depressed he was. How cold, how unloved, how desperate for life. Even though day after day he was told that there was no way he could survive this strange illness. That he would die, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. He could only wait for his spirit to leave him, lifeless, in the nest that had become the only place he could ever be in.

Motionless, sad, lonely, yes, this was him. No laughter, no warmth, will ever radiate from him. Not a single day could ever end in happiness, not when you live in such a gray world. No one to love him and stay with him forever and ever. No one to lift his spirits when he was sad. No one to calm him when he was scared. No one to help him understand things when he was confused. No one to be his friend. A life of emptiness was all he had.

When he needed help, physically or emotionally, there was no one to give him it. He would always walk this path, faithfully, quietly, passionately. Striving to do his best. Striving for life. Striving to succeed. Striving to get better enough, even if for just a day, so that he could leave the medicine cat den and meet his clan mates, meet the brother and sister he knew nothing about. This was pain.

Shadows. Yes, shadows and darkness lined his path, his every step, his every breath. Every chance he had was shadowed with doubt, with fear that it wouldn't work out. Nothing would ever be easy for him, yet he always had to try.

"Eat," Rosewing ordered, entering the den and tossing him a mouse. Palebreeze cast him a sad glance and left. The mouse thudded to a halt about half a tail-length away from him, and he searched himself for the strength needed to reach the mouse. Sighing, the ginger medicine cat stared at her paws. "I should have thrown it closer," she mewed. "I'm sorry." He didn't respond, instead watching as she grabbed a stick and used it to poke the mouse closer to him.

He sniffed it. The mouse smelled healthy. Healthy. Yes, healthy. What he wanted to be. Taking a feeble bite out of the mouse, he swallowed the terse meet before losing the strength needed, and his head plopped down onto the ground, narrowly avoiding the half-eaten mouse. Closing his eyes, he gave way to darkness.

Snowkit never woke up. His whole life had been quick and short, full of pain and depression. None of his dreams ever came true- he didn't ever get to meet his clan mates, and he was never healthy. To him, the world would never be nice. It would only be a period of life that brought constant suffering and pain, with a path marked out with bad luck and misfortune.

StarClan accepted him and gave him a warrior name for all his bravery, passion, and determination; Snowheart. Where real life had appeared to him as something worse then the Place of no Stars, the Dark Forest, StarCan was sparkling with goodness. Even though he was dead, event though he was surrounded by strange cats, even though he would always be weak, even in StarClan, since he was never strong, He was happier then he had even been in his whole, entire, short-lived life. With good reason, too.

RIP, Snowheart.

We will always remember you.


	22. The Reason I Cry at Night

**The Reason I Cry at Night:**

Alderpaw whimpered in his nest, eyes closed. His tail thumped on the ground, and he was glad once again that Cloudnose and Dewflight had been made warriors before he had become an apprentice. Whining softly to himself, he dug his claws into the ground, baring his teeth and nipping his foreleg. All his instincts screamed to attack the thing that was biting himself, the thing that was slowly killing his spirit. But Alderpaw held back, knowing that if he gave in, he would only go crazy as a hare.

It felt like seasons ago since he had been a kit in the nursery, even though it had only been half a moon. The only thing that had stayed the same was his restless, dreamless nights, and the way he cried himself to sleep at night. It was because his mother had died. It was because his sister hated him. It was because he didn't seem to have any warrior skill- and so he made himself pay for it, night after night after night. Each day, at midnight, he snuck out to the twolegplace and awakened the dogs that lived in the small yellow nest. Two big brown brutes, they chase him all over the place, nipping him, biting him, yanking him. And each night, bleeding and scarred, he would limp back to camp and cry out his pain and his story as he fell asleep.

Everything was simple, it had appeared at first. He would just continue to make himself suffer, and maybe even he would try harder to be a good apprentice, one who caught prey and fought for his clan. But these days it only made him restless and angry, and the inner warrior instinct he had hoped for so long only seemed to come into effect when his life was in danger, the fury targeted at the cat who had put his life in danger; and that cat was always him.

Falling back into his nest, Alderpaw let the tears fall freely, and as they mixed with scarlet blood, he thought maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out all right. The tears washed his blood away smoothly, and there wasn't even a crimson spot let on the ground. Nothing was even damp, the wounds on his legs even seeming to stop bleeding as trickle of moonlight filtered into the den. Maybe everything would be fine. Maybe he was a mouse brain, worrying about nothing. Alderpaw wasn't sure what to believe, but with the pain leaving and his whimpers softening, he gave in to the dark void of sleep.

 _The dark clearing he awoke to was quiet and eerie, the trees looming around him like monsters waiting to pounce. Alderpaw blinked his eyes. This wasn't the apprentice den! Slowly getting to his feet, a long, low hiss made him freeze. Spinning around, he caught sight of the tail of a rattle snake slithering along the edge of the clearing in the dim light. The ground was damp and peaty under his paws, and felt his way forwards gently, looking for a dry spot to crouch on._

 _"Woof!" A wolf howled, crashing through the bushes towards him. Alderpaw crouched, paws flailing, as he desperately tried to get a hold on himself. An owl hooted, and he glanced up. The dark shape weaved through the trees, wings widespread and looming over him. The owl dove, curved beak gleaming and sharp talons shining in the dim light. He scrabbled out of the way, but the snake was there, waiting for him, forked tongue flicking. He spun, glancing back over hi shoulder at the rattle snake one last time only to face the wolf. Thee owl hovered above him, beady eyes glinting._

 _A dark shape stalked from the shadows, whiskers twitching. "Greetings, Alderpaw," the tom purred smoothly. "I see you've met some of the pests of these forests. Here, let me shoo them for you." Trotting forwards, he bared his teeth at the creatures, unsheathing one claw in a silent threat. The owl let out a screech of terror, flying away just as the wolf let out fearsome howl, spinning around and darting off. The snake let out one last hiss before slithering away, leaving Alderpaw alone with the strange cat. "Who are you?" he croaked._

 _"You may call me the Dark Stalker. I walked the world many, many seasons ago, before Thunderstar, before the Tribe of Rushing Water, before the Ancients. My cats were the Hunters, and I was their leader, their Fighter. We battled rats, snakes, bears, wolves, dogs, eagles, hawks, and more in the only hope of protecting our kits and our territory." Dark Stalker mewed. "I had a mate, like you will have someday, and three kits. Bright Whisper was beautiful, and so were Blossom Flight, Thorn Stalker, and Hawk Whisper. Hawk Whisper himself became Fighter after me, protecting the Hunters for as long as he lived."_

 _Alderpaw tilted his head. "And what does this have to do with me?" Amber eyes stared into golden, and Alderpaw glanced away, breaking the trance. "Listen to your heart, young Hunter, and let it guide your paws; Don't be afraid to open up, but don't worry about closing in, either. You shape you own path, and your ears are for you to listen with only. You can turn them away from those dark voices, and you can turns them towards those bright ones." The clearing began to fade, and no matter how spooky it was, with the fierce creatures and just the eerie darkness, he felt a pang of regret; he could not leave yet._

 _"Wait!" he yowled. "I can't leave yet; tell me more, Dark Stalker!" But everything turned black, and the dim forest was lost forever._

Alderpaw jumped in his nest. "I can't leave yet!" His breathing was ragged, coming only as short pants, his fur bristling as he wrestled to his paws. Tail lashing, eyes wide, and ears flattened, he poked his head out of the den; sunrise. A few warriors were gathering under high ledge, waiting for his father, Bramblestar, to come out with Lionblaze to choose the patrols. His mother, Squirrelflight, had died giving birth to him and Sparkpaw, so he could never get to know her. She had been deputy, but after she died, Lionblaze had been made deputy in her place. Sparkpaw slept in the medicine den, since she had broken her leg the day before their apprentice ceremony, which was why Alderpaw had privacy... at least he did, for now. Sparkpaw was almost healed, and then his sister would pop into life in the den with him, hating him like always.

Dovewing flicked her tail, leaning against Ivypool. "I wonder where Molewhisker is," she mewed. "His apprentice sure seems awake. Hey, Alderpaw! Want to come on a hunting patrol with us? Lionblaze won't mind, and neither should your mentor." Alderpaw hung his head for a moment. Did he have to hunt? Eating something that was already dead was okay, but killing it? That was wrong, just wrong, like fighting. He had wanted to train as a medicine cat, but with in his position, he couldn't take anymore hate and disgust from anyone, so he had started a warrior.

Jayfeather poked out of his den, glancing at Alderpaw with sightless blue eyes. "No, he can't!" The gray tabby medicine cat mewed. "Alderpaw is coming with me; I need to speak to him." _You do? What about?_ Pricking his ears, Alderpaw waited for further explanation, but nothing came from the medicine cat. Trotting over to Jayfeather, the tabby led him out of camp and into the forest. "What is it?" he asked, curious.

"I know you want to be a medicine cat by the way you look at everything I do." Jayfeather's tone was curt. "So why haven't you asked to be my apprentice? Is it your sister? Is she bothering you? Also, you seem to be troubled... You've always seemed troubled, but still. Tell me what's wrong."

Flicnhing, Alderpaw backed away. "Sparkpaw hates me," he whimpered at last. "And I fail at being a warrior, and Squirrelflight's dead, and I can't even uphold her legacy cause I'm too useless!" he blurted, glancing at his paws. He bit his lip. "So I've tried to make myself suffer so that I'm encourage to do better. Every night, I go to the twolegplace and let these dogs chase me... Hurt me... It's my only way of paying for how useless I am."

The medicine cat leaned forwards. "You shouldn't do that," he murmured. "But I can see why. And why are you telling me this, Alderpaw? Think!" His sightless gaze bored into Alderpaw's. "Well," he stuttered. "I guess I had a dream where I was told to follow my heart- be a medicine cat, I assume- and that I should open up- talk to you. Dark Stalker- that's the tom who spoke to me- said my ears are my own and I choose who I listen to, and I don't understand that part, Jayfeather. Do you?"

Jayfeather narrowed his eyes. "In fact, I do. You choose who you listen too, right? You don't have to listen to what Sparkpaw says, just to those who have good words to say. For instance, you don't have to listen to me, but you choose to. You don't have to listen to Molewhisker, but you choose to. You don't have to listen to Bramblestar, but you do. Sparkpaw's words don't matter, unless you want them too."

Alderpaw nodded, eyes wide. So that was what Dark Stalker meant. "Is Sparkpaw ready to move back into the warrior's den?" He asked, his voice growing louder steadily. His eyes were fixed on Jayfeather intently. "Because I'm ready to switch to being a medicine cat."


	23. Shrinking Heart

**Shrinking Heart:**

"Fire!" Screeched Thrushstar, the ThunderClan leader. "Everyone get out of camp! Head to the lake!"

Songthorn shot to her paws, eyes wild. She jerked her head around the warriors den, searching for her mate. Stonecloud must have already left; he wasn't in his nest. Narrowing her eyes, she coughed as a gust of wind brought in a thin, trailing wisp of smoke. She crouched, following the panicked line of warriors as they filed, paws flailing, out of the den.

The clearing was a wild mess of shrieking and screaming. Thrushstar stood at the camp entrance, shouting orders, but she didn't listen, instead bounding over to her two kits, Flowerpaw and Stormpaw. The two apprentices looked terrified, huddling together and staring at the flickering flames the enveloped the apprentice den. She licked Flowerpaw's head gently before grabbing her scruff, giving Stormpaw a gentle nudge as she tried to bring them back to the real world.

Suddenly, a screech made her drop Flowerpaw. Stonecloud! She spun around, heart stopping as she saw Stonecloud, shrieking, collapsing, fire spreading over his fur. "Stonecloud, no!" she cried, darting over, her kits at her heels.

"Songthorn!" Thrushstar's voice shouted to her. His voice cracked, full of pain and grief. "You have to leave him here!"

She stared at him, not daring to test her voice to scream a response. Stormpaw stared at her with his wide, blue eyes, worried and scared and terrified all at once. _No. I have to stay strong for them._ Forcing her shuddering, heart-breaking thoughts away, she grabbed Flowerpaw's scruff again and took off for the camp entrance. Seeing her coming after him, Thruststar headed through, amber eyes flaring.

Just before she would have left camp, flames burst in front of the three of them, blocking her escape route. Songthorn skidded to halt, feeling the heat from the fire coming in thick waves. Smoke clouded the air and she coughed again, turning around, pain scorching through her as she accidentally stepped into the fire with one hind paw. She pressed her leg into the dirt, letting the fire die, and tried to ignore the pain that burned her hind leg.

Stormpaw squealed as the flames surrounded him, cutting him off from Songthorn and Flowerpaw. Her heart broke as he collapsed, the flames burning him, scorching him, killing him, yet she forced herself to turn around, forced herself to stay strong, forced herself to ignore the aching hole in her chest so that she might keep going and save Flowerpaw's life, if not her own.

Dashing over to the high stone, she scrabbled up it, getting up only a mere two feet before Flowerpaw squirmed in her grip and sent the two flying back down to the ground, crashing with a thump. Songthorn groaned, dizzy, and shook her head, staggering to her paws. Another bout of coughing exploded from her, and she cringed, grabbing Flowerpaw again as she tried to climb the rock.

This time, she succeeded, and set Flowerpaw down at the top. Her daughter stared at her, amber eyes frightened, and for a moment, she didn't move. Then, Flowerpaw crashed forwards, gratitude filling her eyes. "Thank you, mother!" she cried, pressing her muzzle against Songthorn's. Her injured leg buckled and she went flying off the rock, back down to the bottom. Flowerpaw backed away from the edge, looking horrified. "I'm sorry!" she yowled. "I didn't mean to! Here, I'll come back down and help you."

Flowerpaw leapt off the rock, but she misjudged her leap and landed in the fire, thrashing in pain. "Help!" she shrieked. "Mother, save me!" Songthorn closed her eyes, forcing herself to turn around and leave the final piece of her heart to burn and die, to become only a pile of ashes amongst the embers. Slowly, she climbed the rock, not looking down, not looking up.

 _Survive. Escape._ The two thoughts circled her head, stalking her like a warrior would stalk a mouse. _Survive. Escape._ It willed her on, to the top of the rock, begging her to make it. Songthorn leapt from the rock onto a tree branch and ran along it to the edge, leaping down to the ground of the fiery terrain. Racing along as fast as she could, she finally made it to the lake, panting and coughing more then she was breathing. Her pelt burned, and her leg ached, but most of all, her heart cried a mournful cry, full of emptiness. Her whole life was gone.

Crashing into the lake, she was surrounded by her clan mates, but she merely flattened her ears and closed her eyes, refusing to answer there questions, just standing there in the water, trying to calm down even with the giant hole inside of her.

...

Songthorn jerked awake, kicking Oakcloud in the stomach. Her fellow elder gasped, eyes flying open, and he backed away from her. "Sorry," she grumbled. _It's not my fault that my whole life was ruined,_ she added silently. For the past two and a half years, no one had ever understood her grief. Not only had she been permanently lamed and stripped from her life as a warrior, but her two kits and her mate had died. Her parents died from the smoke only a few days later, all because of that one terrible night.

She stretched and got to her paws, wheezing. Oakcloud glared at her for moment before he closed his eyes, trying to go back to sleep. _I had my whole life ruined because of one stupid fire and you don't even forgive me or pity me for it?_ She growled, ears flattening, and strutted out of the den.

Silverpaw was grooming herself by the fresh-kill pile. Songthorn padded stiffly over, narrowing her eyes at the apprentice. "Stop crowding the pile!" she snapped. "Youngsters, think they're so important!" Silverpaw glanced up at her, eyes soft and gentle. _Like Flowerpaw's._ Songthorn remembered with a pang. _Just like Flowerpaw's._

"What happened, Songthorn?" Silverpaw asked quietly after a moment. "What happened to you when you were young that caused to you to move to the elders and made you so grumpy? My mother says you used to be her best friend until you clammed up."

Her voice. Her delicate, innocent voice. Songthorn opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Silverpaw stood up, silver fur rippling, dappled in the sunlight. The apprentice pressed herself against Songthorn. "It's okay, you can tell me."

"The fire." Songthorn mewed after a moment, voice barely loud enough to be heard. "The fire lamed me. It killed my parents, my mate, my kits. It stripped me of everything that was precious to me. Everything!"

"What about the clan?"

"My mother, who was your best friend?"

"Your former mentor and your former apprentices?"

"Other friends?"

Silverpaw's voice was low, quiet, soothing. "You haven't lost anything, Songthorn. They all walk beside you; I bet they're probably watching you this very moment from StarClan."

...

Happy days. Happy times. Songthorn watched proudly as Silverpaw stepped forwards, dipping her head to Cloudstar. "I do," the apprentice mewed, eyes shining.

"Then from this moment on, you shall be known as Silverlight. StarClan honors your caring and compassion." Cloudstar mewed, completing the ceremony.

Songthorn's heart swelled. "Silverlight! Silverlight Silverlight! Silverlight!" she cheered as loud as she could, purring through all of it. Cats shot her happy glances; Silverlight had started to talk to her more and more, even through the death of her mother, Mistwing, and had become like a daughter to Songthorn. She had heard other cats whispering to each other that because of Silverlight, Songthorn's temper had ceased. Now cats swarmed around young Silverlight, but she pushed her way through all her friends and padded to Songthorn, reaching forwards to touch noses.

She rubbed muzzles with the she-cat, then took a step back. "I'm so proud of you," she mewed, voice cracking.

Silverlight's eyes shone. "I couldn't have done it without your support," she mewed, purring.

Songthorn shook her head. "No. It was all you. You're a wonderful cat, Silverlight."

"Let's go hunting, then!" Silverlight purred. "I challenge you to a contest!"

Laughing, Songthorn nodded, stretching her lame leg. She glanced at it. "I still say you're going to win this!" she mewed, voice quivering wit excitement.

"I still say you're going to do just fine!" Silverlight responded, nudging her. "Come on; we haven't got all day!"

ThunderClan watched in happy, cheerful silence as the duo made there way out of camp, purring.


	24. Frozen

**Frozen:**

"Rosekit! Rosekit, come here!" A voice sounded, cutting through her peaceful sleep. She pricked her ears, not opening her eyes. Rosekit didn't recognize this voice, this strange, strange voice.

The voice sounded again. "Rosekit, where are you?" This time, worry coursed through it. Rosekit debating on whether she should speak or not, but this cat has interrupted her dreams, after all. She kept her mouth firmly shut.

"Rosekit? Rosekit!" Now it was a terrified wail. Rosekit's pelt bristled with unease.

"Rose-" Swiftly, the voice was cut off, and all was to remain was a bloodcurdling scream.

Her eyes shot open. She was curled up on a patch of flattened grass in a meadow. She must still be dreaming. Another scream sounded. Rosekit didn't have time to explore her surroundings; she had to get to that cat, fast!

Speeding over the grassy ground of her dream, she came to a halt at the top of a ridge, looking down on a bloody scene. A ginger tabby she-cat, one who looked just like her, with the same vivid shade of amber eyes, lay limp at the bottom of the slope. The bushes shook wildly on one side of the clearing; the other side, everything was still.

Rosekit stood, looking down at the scene for a moment. As she watched, a breeze picked up, blowing the dead cat's eyes wide open. The dead cat seemed to stare directly at her, jaws wide open in a silent scream.

 _Rosekit!_

...

"Rosepaw! Rosepaw, come here!" A voice sounded, cutting through her peaceful slumber. That voice! Again. Rosepaw stiffened. That cat, that image of her. Would it be murdered again, like in had when she had been a kit? She opened her eyes and sat up, in her same spot in the meadow.

The voice sounded again. "Rosepaw, where are you?" Worry cut through the voice, just like last time. Rosepaw narrowed her eyes, trying to remember which direction the voice had come from. After a few moments, she gave up and just followed the sound of the voice itself.

"Rosepaw? Rosepaw!" It was a wail now. Her pelt prickled. How strange this cat was. Her voice sounded just like Rosepaw's.

Rosepaw slowed down at the top of the ridge, creeping to peer over. She couldn't scare away whoever had murdered the cat!

A gray-and-white tom crouched beside the cat, ears flat. One paw rested over the ginger tabby she-cat's throat, the other on the ground. His paws were scarlet, soaked with blood.

Anger boiled up inside her. "Hey, you!" she shouted, charging down the slope. "Get away from her!" The tom spun around, eyes widening, and he darted off into the ferns, sending them rustling like crazy.

She turned back to the cat. The cat must have just died while she had chased off the tom, for her body was warm and the stench of death had only just begun to take over her mysteriously familiar scent.

A strong wind blew, and the she-cat's amber eyes widened, forced by the wind. Again, the she-cat seemed to stare straight at her.

 _Rosepaw!_

...

Rosepaw yawned, stretching, and stood up. Today she would have her warrior assessment, and then she would be made a warrior! She glanced around the apprentice den. It was crowded, these days, with eleven apprentices total, but it worked. She would miss having her friends around once she was made a warrior.

The sea of pelts covered the floor, edged with green moss; Lionpaw's golden tabby, Cloudpaw's gray-and-white, Whitepaw's solid white, Echopaw's black-and-silver tabby, and that only just the beginning. There was her; ginger tabby, which made five, leaving six other apprentices. Streampaw, with her beautiful pelt of blue-gray tabby with her dainty white paws, and there was Mudpaw, the small mottled brown tom. That was seven.

Rosepaw shrugged. She didn't need to go over every fellow apprentice. Lifting one paw, she skirted around Whitepaw's nest and headed for the entrance of the den. Cloudpaw stirred from his spot on the other side of the den and eyed her warily. "Hi," he mewed, sounding slightly uncertain, after a moment. His eyes searched hers for something of which she didn't know what it was.

"Hi," she responded, suddenly feeling like she had seen someone just like Cloudpaw doing something terrible somewhere, but she couldn't recall anything about it.

...

Roseflame pounced, sailing through the air and landing on the mouse when another, darker, small shape crashed through the bushes, landing on top of her and scoring their claws down her side. Shrieking, she collapsed and writhed, batting at her opponent. She stared up at a small mottled brown tom with flaring amber eyes, and froze, shocked, as the tom continued to attack her.

"Mudstorm!" she gasped after a few moments, regaining enough control to start blocking some of the blows.

Mudstorm's eyes were hard. "You're a good warrior, which means you'll stand in my way of taking over ThunderClan. So I'm killing you," he snarled mutinously.

Suddenly, everything froze except for her, as she leapt out of the way of another blow.

Surprised, Roseflame stood staring at the frozen land for a few moments before she shook it off. _What-what is happening?_ She screamed internally. After a moment, she wondered what to do in this frozen world. Was she supposed to stop it? Shrugging, she padded back over to the frozen Mudstorm. _For starters,_ she decided. _I can't let you live if you're willing to kill someone to get power, and I can't let you live so that you can kill me!_ With no regret, she sliced her claws over the frozen tom's throat so that when the world returned to normal, he would be dead.

 _What better time to catch some prey?_ she though to herself. Roseflame sniffed the air. Everything would be frozen, so all she had to do was find it.

...

Roseflame curled up in her mossy nest. 73 moons had passed since everything had frozen. She marked the moons on a stick. Now she was well into her years as an elder, and everything was still the same way it had been when the world had frozen. Everything except her.

Wheezing, she rested her chin on her paws and shut her eyes, waiting for sleep to come. Soon, it did, and she drifted away into the void of dreams.

...

"Rosekit! Rosekit, come here!" A voice sounded, cutting through her peaceful sleep. She pricked her ears, not opening her eyes. Roseflame didn't recognize this voice, this strange, strange voice, but she had a faint memory of it, somehow. Why was it calling her kit name?

The voice sounded again. "Rosekit, where are you?" This time, worry coursed through it. Roseflame twisted in her nest, debating on whether she should speak or not, but this cat had interrupted her dreams, after all. She kept her mouth firmly shut.

"Rosekit? Rosekit!" Now it was a terrified wail. Roseflame's pelt bristled with unease.

"Rose-" Swiftly, the voice was cut off, and all was to remain was a bloodcurdling scream.

Her eyes shot open. She was curled up on a patch of flattened grass in a meadow. She must still be dreaming. Another scream sounded. Roseflame didn't have time to explore her surroundings; she had to get to that cat, fast!

Speeding over the grassy ground of her dream, she came to a halt at the top of a ridge, looking down on a bloody scene. A ginger tabby she-cat, one who looked just like her, with the same vivid shade of amber eyes, lay limp at the bottom of the slope. The bushes shook wildly on one side of the clearing; the other side, everything was still.

Roseflame stood, looking down at the scene for a moment. As she watched, a breeze picked up, blowing the dead cat's eyes wide open. The dead cat seemed to stare directly at her, jaws wide open in a silent scream.

 _Rosekit!_

"Rosepaw! Rosepaw, come here!" A voice sounded, cutting through her peaceful slumber. That voice! Again. Roseflame stiffened. That cat, that image of her. Would it be murdered again, like in had just now? Was her dream merely starting over? She opened her eyes and sat up, in her same spot in the meadow. She noted that the voice now called her apprentice name.

The voice sounded again. "Rosepaw, where are you?" Worry cut through the voice, just like last time. Roseflame narrowed her eyes, trying to remember which direction the voice had come from. After a few moments, she gave up and just followed the sound of the voice itself.

"Rosepaw? Rosepaw!" It was a wail now. Her pelt prickled. How strange this cat was. Her voice sounded just like Roseflame's.

Roseflame slowed down at the top of the ridge, creeping to peer over. She couldn't scare away whoever had murdered the cat!

A gray-and-white tom crouched beside the cat, ears flat. One paw rested over the ginger tabby she-cat's throat, the other on the ground. His paws were scarlet, soaked with blood.

Anger boiled up inside her. "Hey, you!" she shouted, charging down the slope. "Get away from her!" The tom spun around, eyes widening, and he darted off into the ferns, sending them rustling like crazy.

She turned back to the cat. The cat must have just died while she had chased off the tom, for her body was warm and the stench of death had only just begun to take over her mysteriously familiar scent.

A strong wind blew, and the she-cat's amber eyes widened, forced by the wind. Again, the she-cat seemed to stare straight at her.

 _Rosepaw!_

"Roseflame! Roseflame, come here!"

Roseflame shot to her paws and darted along the ridge back to the slope. The ginger tabby she-cat stood in the clearing, searching it for her.

"I'm here!" she cried, pulling to stop beside the she-cat. "Look, you're about to be murdered by that gray-and-white tom," she mewed.

The ginger tabby she-cat purred, interrupting her. "I know, Roseflame. And that gray-and-white tom, Cloudfrost? He isn't going to murder. He's going to find me after Mudstorm murders me. Cloudfrost likes me, you know. That's why. He likes us, Roseflame. And you've lived a nice, long, life in the Frozen World. StarClan gave us that chance because they wanted us to have a chance to live."

"Wait... Does this mean... You-" Roseflame began.

"Yes, Roseflame. I am Roseflame. Technically, I'm your spirit. Either way, we are the same." The other Roseflame mewed. "It's time for us to join together and head to StarClan, however."

Roseflame bristled. Everything suddenly came together. "I had two dreams like this, with you- me and my death; as an apprentice and as a kit. You were warning me! Warning me I was going to be killed! But... What about Cloudfrost?"

"If you had stayed near Cloudfrost that day, you wouldn't have been killed. In fact, the two of you would have killed Mudstorm. Ended his treachery and lived a happy life together." Her spirit responded simply.

Roseflame hesitated, then dipped her head. "Let's head to StarClan."

A flash of lightning struck, and thunder boomed, and then there was only one ginger tabby she-cat standing there, following her path to StarClan. And during that same moment, the whole world burst back into life.


	25. Warrior What-If

**What If...**

 **What If One of Brokenkit's Sisters Survived?**

 **Warrior What-Ifs:**

 _Prologue:_

A dark gray she-cat lay in the hollow of a dead tree on a nest of dead leaves. Three small bundles lined the curve of her belly. Two little bundles were squirming, but the third one lay still. The mother prodded the kit with one paw, as if trying to hide the truth from herself. That kit had been stillborn.

The mother dragged the other two kits, a tom and a she-kit, towards her, and began to lick them. The tom let out an angry wail as she touched him, yet the other merely let out a faint mewl.

"He's going to be a fighter," the she-cat mewed, gazing at the tom kit with his dark tabby pelt and broad, flat face, with tiny tail that had a bend in the middle like a broken branch. He battered his sister with his paws every time he moved, but the she-cat barely squealed in response.

Licking the she-kit's forehead, the dark gray she-cat's eyes filled with dread and uncertainty. Yet as she sniffed the kit, it batted her nose with her forepaw. The tiny little she-kit scrambled forwards slowly and began to suckle, leaving the mother to sigh in relief. Her second kit was alive, just like the first.

As the mother's eyes travelled over the tom kit again, she shivered, as if something frightened her. But she softened as the little kit squirmed over to her and pressed it's tiny face into her fur.

The mother stood up, leaving the two kits to let out cries of protest, and grabbed their stillborn sister by her scruff. She padded outside the log and scraped at the ground, digging a hole to bury the little kit in.

After she was finished with burial, she headed back inside the hollow log and licked the top of the tom kit's head. "Silverflame told me to trust my own instincts," she whispered to her two kits. "And I choose that you will grow up in the Clan as warriors, without knowing who your mother truly is." Heaving a deep sigh, the new mother added, "That will be the best for all three of us, little ones."

Giving the kits both a last lick, she slunk back into the undergrowth, holding them both by the scruff. They squirmed faintly letting out faint cries, but the mother didn't stop, just kept on going with narrowed eyes.

The dark gray she-cat stopped to clean herself after a long period of walking, then picked up the kits again and continued following her path.

 _Onto the story:_

Hawkkit squirmed, opening her eyes. Lizardstripe was gone from the nest, and so was Deerkit, Tanglekit, and Brokenkit. Runningkit was still sleeping on her other side, however, and so she carefully slid out of the next, trying not to wake her foster littermate. She could hear the sounds of Brokenkit and the others playing outside, and she straightened, licking her ruffled chest fur before darting out of the den.

She tripped on a stone and stumbled, but quickly regained her balanced, padding over to where Deerkit and Tanglekit tumbled in a play fight, Brokenkit watching from the side. As she approached, Deerkit pushed her brother away, however, and sat up. "Hey look," she snarled. "The two losers."

Brokenkit's fur fluffed up, and Hawkkit cringed. She didn't like the insults, but she and her brother, Brokenkit's, foster mother, Lizardstripe, never stopped it. "Let me guess who your mother is, orphans!" Deerkit continued. "A stinky badger!"

Hawkkit pressed against Brokenkit, hanging her head and staring at the ground. She could see the medicine cat, Yellowfang, watching the four of them with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, and guess what that makes you!" Tanglekit added, eyes lighting up. "Badger-stinky!"

She turned around as she heard a noise, trying to ignore Deerkit and Tanglekit's jeers. Runningkit was tumbling out of the nursery. His eyes lit up as he saw them, but then the timid kit frowned as he heard what his littermates were saying. "Hey, come over here, Runningkit! We were just talking to the badger-stinky little kitties!" Tanglepaw called to his brother.

After a moment of hesitation, Runningkit trotted over and joined in.

"Badger-stinky!"

"Badger-stinky!"

"Badger-stinky!"

"Badger-stinky!"

"Badger-stinky!"

"Badger-stinky!"

"Stop it!" Yellowfang mewed. Hawkkit cowered beneath the medicine cat's shadow as the dark gray she-cat darted over. Yellowfang's narrowed eyes scorched Deerkit, Tanglekit, and Runningkit's pelts, and Hawkkit took a step back, still pressing herself against Brokenkit. For a moment she stumbled, and Brokenkit grabbed her scruff, holding her steady.

She glanced at him. "Thanks," she mouthed, then glanced back out to watch Yellowfang.

...

"From this moment on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Hawkpaw," Cedarstar mewed. She quivered with excitement, gazing up at the mighty ShadowClan leader. "Raggedpelt, you are a strong and skilled warrior. Though it is not usually the way of a warrior to give a kit their father or mother as a mentor, I trust that you will pass on your talents to young Hawkpaw."

"Deerpaw! Tanglepaw! Brokenpaw! Runningpaw! Hawkpaw!" Cheered the clan. Hawkpaw's heart soared, and she stepped forwards to touch noses with a proud, yet slightly flustered looking, Raggedpelt.

For a moment she stood there, basking in the calls of her clan mates. Then, Raggedpelt gave her a gentle nudge. "Come on," he mewed softly. "Let's get Nightpelt and Brokenpaw and go explore the territory."

Hawkpaw caught a sorrowful glanced from Yellowfang and tilted her head, wondering why the medicine would seem so... sad and guilty and full of grief.

...

"I am proud of my clan," Raggedstar mewed. Hawkpaw watched her father with narrowed eyes, sitting next to Brokenpaw. "You are all I could have hoped for as leader. With warriors like you, I could fight any battle! And there will be two new warriors today. Brokenpaw, Hawkpaw, step forwards."

Hawkpaw gasped along with the rest of the clan, but quickly stepped forwards alongside her brother, mind racing. She had only been training for five moons!

She turned her head as Nightpelt stepped forwards. "But, Raggedstar, Brokenpaw hasn't completed his final assessments yet and neither has Hawkpaw, and she's your apprentice!"

Brokenpaw shot a furious look at Nightpelt, and Hawkpaw felt a flash of unease. She pressed against Brokenpaw and purred as Raggedstar responded to her brother's mentor.

"I know a ready cat when I see one!" Raggedstar mewed, flicking his tail dismissively. "Leaping down from the Clanrock, he faced the two of them with pride filling his eyes. "I, Raggedstar, call upon my warrior anncestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and for that I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Brokenpaw, Hawkpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Hawkpaw shivered, excited. "I do!" she called out solemnly, and Brokenpaw followed her more calmly.

"I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Brokenpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Brokentail- but let no cat see that as a sign of weakness. You are one of the strongest cats I have ever seen, and I look forward to fighting alongside you! StarClan honors your courage and your fighting skills, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan." Hawkpaw watched proudly as Raggedstar rested his muzzle on Brokentail's head; then her brother licked their father's shoulder and stepped back.

Raggedstar turned to her. "Hawkpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Hawkfire, for the internal fire that always blazes inside of you. StarClan honors your loyalty and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan." She licked her father's shoulder respectively as he rested his muzzle on her forehead. Then she stepped back and joined her brother in the crowd of warriors, eyes shining.

"Brokentail! Hawkfire! Brokentail! Hawkfire!" she basked in her clan mate's praise, standing next to Brokentail with her head and tail head high.

...

"Elders, I know you want provide for this clan," Brokenstar mewed from the Clanrock. Hawkfire watched her brother, uncertain, from her place amongst the warriors. "Therefore I ask you, with the need for more space in the clan, that you move out of camp and live somewhere else inside the territory, and fend for yourself. The younger cats need to be strong so that they may be able to fight and hunt for us."

Hawkfire's heart skipped a beat. What was her brother doing?

"No!" she shouted, stepping forwards.

Startled and wondering what was going to happen, the other warriors scuttled away from her, leaving her alone under Brokenstar's gaze fur of fury. "What did you say?" he demanded.

"I said no! You won't move the elders out of camp!" Hawkfire's fur bristled.

Brokenstar leapt off the Clanrock and crouched, glaring at her. "I challenge you, then," he mewed confidently yet angrily. "A fight to the death. If I win, the elders move. If you win, then-"

Hawkfire nodded and leapt for Brokenstar, sweeping him off his paws. Surprised, he yowled, biting down on her forepaw.

She struggled free and raked her claws down his face with a swift blow that her mighty brother failed to avoid, slicing over his eyes and blinding him. He froze and let out a wail. "I'm blind!" he cried, furious. He staggered forwards, swiping at her and catching Hawkfire unawares.

Tumbling to the ground, she staggered back to her paws and leapt at Brokenstar, sinking her teeth into her neck and holding on, ignoring the raking claws that scorched over her pelt. She had to win this fight, if not for the elders, then for her own life!

After a few more seconds, Brokenstar sunk to the ground. Taking her opportunity, Hawkfire raked her claws over his now exposed belly. Now he couldn't ever come back and do something to ShadowClan ever again.

The clan stood there in silence, until the clan deputy, Blackfoot, let out a cheer. "Hawkstar! Hawkstar! Hawkstar!"

And the rest of the clan joined in.


	26. All That Glitters Is Not Gold

**All That Glitters Is Not Gold:**

"Fox!" Littlepaw gasped, panting. The under-sized apprentice scrambled through the camp entrance, staggering to a halt, and stared at Firestorm.

Firestorm rolled his eyes. As clan deputy, he would take care of everything. "Well, I'm here, so nothing's going to go wrong," he told the apprentice, turning to the warriors as they quickly gathered. "Okay," he began. "I'm going to go fight the fox and save the clan. You guys continue with normal warriors duties."

He felt a wave anger as Redfeather's eyes narrowed and the russet-and-brown tom shared an exasperated glance with Sundapple. The golden tabby she-cat stepped forwards after a moment, amber eyes flaring with annoyance. "You can't fight off a fox by yourself, Firestorm!" she snapped. "Let Redfeather and I come with you!"

Shaking his head, Firestorm's pelt bristled. That was a direct challenge to his authority! "I'm perfectly fine, Sundapple," he replied hotly, thrusting his nose into the air. His tail lashed. "Besides, your just a warrior."

A few mutinous growls sounded but Firestorm didn't bother snap out another sentence or two. _Those mouse hearts just better have completed their hunting patrols by the time I'm back!_ He thought to himself, heading out of camp.

...

"Featherstar-" cried out Redfeather, drawing her head back out from the leader's den.

The clan medicine cat, Icewing, trotted out, head drooping. "-Is dead!" she finished with a wail.

As the clan let out grief-stricken yowls, Sundapple and Pinestorm followed the medicine cat out, carrying Featherstar between the two of them. Firestorm shoved his way through the clan, grabbing Featherstar's scruff and slinging the former leader roughly over his back. "I'll carry her," he mewed gruffly. "Your paws are dirty."

"Firestorm, we need to go to the moon pool so that you me receive your nine lives," Icewing announced. "Give Featherstar back to them."

"No!" Firestorm retorted. "I'm leader now! You should be calling me Firestar!" _I will be the best leader ever!_

...

Firestar trudged back into camp from the long journey to the moon pool and back. He was now the official leader of ThunderClan, with a whole set of nine glorious lives stretching before him! Sootcloud and Sundapple glanced at him.

"What do you want us to do, Firestar?" Sootcloud asked resentfully.

"I-" Firestar froze. He had always assumed he would know exactly what to do with ThunderClan once he became leader, but now... Fur bristling, he flattened his ears, glaring at Sootcloud. "That's high-class information!" he snapped. "Go ask the deputy what patrol you're on already!"

Sootcloud narrowed his eyes but didn't respond, instead slinking off towards the warriors den.

"I said talk with the deputy!" Firestar yowled after him.

A paw poked his shoulder. Firestar spun around, only to face Icewing, who's blue eyes gleamed. "Firestar," she mewed softly, looking slightly embarrassed and faintly amused. "Firestar, you haven't appointed a deputy yet!"

Firestar narrowed his eyes. "I know that!" he growled, storming off.

 _What do I do with ThunderClan?!_ He cried eternally. _I'm leader; what do I do?!_

Panting and slightly panicky, he trudged into the leader's den, now his den, and collapsed in the stale mossy nest.


	27. The Ultimate Challenge

**The Ultimate Challenge:**

 **Blue's Choice**

 _ **Summary:**_

 **He's a kit. He's Silver's kit. Yes, he is the orphaned kit of a rouge struggling to find his place in the world. Of course, it doesn't help when he has only two cats who care for him; his foster mother and his foster sister. The problem was that he actually showed up not long after the murder of ThunderClan's former deputy. Blue didn't give up, though, even though ThunderClan would never make him an apprentice. He didn't give up, even though he knew that they blamed him for a murder he had nothing to do with and that the only reason that they took him in was because he was a kit under the protection of the warrior code. Just the day after his foster sister was apprenticed, a new queen moves in. Believing the rumors about him being a murder, she forces Blue out to sleep in the clearing. Then, when he called to his foster sister, she glanced at him and didn't respond, instead leaving the clearing with flat ears. That was the final straw for Blue. Running away from the suspicious haven of ThunderClan, he finds himself a life as a rouge. Everything goes well, until he is attacked by a group of foxes and if his foster sister hadn't shown up and saved him, he would have died. A moon later, Blue returns the fight scene to drive out the foxes. And you can't forget the love of his life that he starts to meet each and every day. Seasons after that, Blue is taking a walk when he hears screeching. Racing to help, he finds a ThunderClan patrol including his foster sister about to be slaughtered by the same old group of foxes that almost killed him seasons ago. Remembering how his foster sister once helped him, he helps the ThunderClan patrol. Astounded that a supposed murderer saved him, the ThunderClan patrol thanks him and leaves. Blue, making a split-second decision that it's time to go on a journey and find a new home, ends up running into a ShadowClan patrol. Making another quick decision based on how friendly a young warrior about his age is to him, he joins, and ends up finding in ShadowClan the life he had always wanted in ThunderClan and starts to find a new love, and a his new happy life starts to unfold.**

 _ **Mentioned Cats and Their Positions in the Allegiances:**_

 **Main Cat: Blue, a blue-gray tom kit**

 **Blue's Mother: Silver, a silver she-cat**

 **Blue's Adoptive Sister: Sunkit, a golden she-kit**

 **ThunderClan's Former Deputy: Stagfoot, a light brown tabby tom**

 **Blue's Adoptive Mother: Snowflower, a white she-cat**

 **ThunderClan's Current Leader and Stonepaw's Mentor: Thornstar, a golden-brown tabby tom**

 **Sunpaw's Mentor: Rosesplash, a russet she-cat**

 **Sunpaw's Fellow Apprentices: Stonepaw, a gray tabby tom, and Larkpaw, a brown-and-white she-cat**

 **Larkpaw's Mentor: Mistywing, a silver tabby she-cat**

 **Blue's Sisters: Aspen, a pale golden-ginger she-kit, Sweet, a silver-and-white she-kit, and Leaf, a darker dappled golden-and-brown she-kit**

 **Blue's Father: Bracken, a golden tabby tom with long, laced scars**

 **New ThunderClan Queen: Briarsong, a light brown tabby she-cat**

 **Briarsong's Mate: Brambleleap, a dark brown tom with soot gray paw** **s**

 **Blue's Crush: Fading Embers, a golden she-cat**

 **ShadowClan Warrior: Stormclaw- a dark brown tabby tom**

 **Blue's New Best Friend: Stagheart- a russet tom**

 **ShadowClan's Leader: Hollystar- scruffy dark brown tabby she-cat**

 **Stagheart's Future Apprentice: Toadkit, a mottled brown tom**

 **Blue's Future Apprentice: Fernkit, a golden-brown dappled she-kit**

 **ShadowClan's Deputy: Cedarstripe, an old gray tom**

 **ShadowClan's Medicine Cat: Hawklight, a pale brown she-cat**

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

 ** _Prologue:_**

A full moon shone overhead, twinkling next to the stars. The silent night seemed so peaceful and tranquil that nothing could stop it or end it, but there was so much more activity then the dark ebony sky let on.

The silver she-cat staggered along the muddy trail, blue eyes pleading and desperate. Her paw steps were small, slow, weak, and she stumbled every few moments, almost dropping the blue-gray bundle of fur that hung from her jaws, mewling quietly as if it too knew of the dire situation.

Collapsing, the silver she-cat dropped her kit on the ground, gasping for breath. She was tired, oh so tired, but she had to continue on. She had to save him.

The blue-gray kit whimpered, struggling to his paws and taking a small step forwards. His body trembled from head-to-tail, but there was still a dull gleam to his eyes as if he still knew he was a kit and kits were supposed to be energetic and excited.

"Blue," the she-cat whispered faintly. "Come back to mommy."

The kit's dragged on the ground as he turned himself around and staggered back to his mother, who had struggled back to her feet. Grabbing Blue's scruff, she took another step forwards, flinching as she stepped on a thorn. Yet instead of stopping to take it out, she continued on, eyes fixed on the horizon. She quivered; it was clear that she would not make it to her destination alive. She was too weak.

In her pained and broken heart, she knew that it would be best to send her kit off alone now rather then let him struggle with her holding him back longer then needed.

She collapsed again, weakly nosing Blue towards her belly. "Feed yourself," she murmured. "Then keep going without me. Keep going until you find someone to give you a home, and don't stop once until you do."

Blue's eyes widened, and the little blue-gray tom shivered. "All by myself?" he rasped.

His mother nodded, and then her eyes closed.

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

 ** _And the Story:_**

Bluekit nosed his adopted littermate, Sunkit, playfully. She squealed and nudged him back, her sleek golden fur shining in the sunlight. The blue-gray tom laughed and took a step back. He was barely taller than Sunkit, but she was still older then him. Blue's green eyes strayed to the clearing. Today, they would be apprenticed. At least, Sunkit would be. His tail lashed for a moment.

 _Just because I'm not clan born doesn't mean I can't trusted!_ Ever since ThunderClan had taken him in, he had been painfully aware of the fact that he wouldn't be made an apprentice. His strange appearance right after the mysterious murder of ThunderClan's deputy, Stagfoot, had made him the center of suspicion and blame. Only Sunkit and her mother, Snowflower, truly trusted him.

He let out a yowl of surprise as Sunkit leapt on him. His distraction had paid off- but not in his favor. Bluekit struggled as he was pressed to the ground, pushing off the ground with his hind legs in a wild attempt to buck Sunkit off.

She laughed cheerfully and pounced gracefully off, turning back to look at him. "What were you thinking about, Bluekit? Not nasty old Thornstar again, are you?" Her tone was bright and warm, but it did nothing to help his darkening mood.

Blankly, Bluekit nodded. "I really want to be an apprentice," he whispered. "But they just won't let me! My mother told me to find a safe home, and a safe home would let me become a warrior, right?"

Sunkit's happy eyes became anxious and full of worry. "Don't tell me your going to leave!" she exclaimed, reaching out her muzzle to touch noses with him. "You have a life here! Snowflower and I won't let them hurt you, I promise! And when I'm a warrior, I'll make them let you join the apprentices." Her golden fur was ruffled now, and Bluekit felt bad for dampening her mood, especially when today she would be apprenticed.

"Don't mind me," he whispered. "Just enjoy your day."

Bluekit turned around, starting to walk away, when teeth fastened around his tail and pulled him back. "You really expect me to leave you depressed like this?" Sunkit spat indignantly. "Come with me; you're going to cheer up right now, too, if you know what's good for you!"

A faint purr erupted from Bluekit. "You're always the same!" he mewed. "Fiercely loyal and the best adoptive sister anyone could ever have."

 ** _. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )_** ** _. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (_**

"Sunpaw! Sunpaw! Sunpaw!"

The clan's cheer echoed around and around the clearing. Bluekit beamed with pride; he was sitting next to Snowflower at the back, green eyes glowing with excitement. Any resentment and jealousy he had had had been pushed away a long time ago.

It was almost sun high as Bluekit watched Sunpaw's mentored, Rosesplash, lead Sunpaw towards the camp entrance. The two other apprentices, Stonepaw and Larkpaw, followed with their mentors, Thornstar and Mistywing; the long line of cats filed out of the thorn barrier swiftly, excited chatter rising from them eagerly.

Bluekit watched as they left, his pride for his adoptive sister slowly draining as the clan dispersed. He felt Snowflower's tail gently rest on his shoulders, but he shook it off, stalking off to the nursery with flattened ears. He didn't want to stay out there with the warriors and apprentices glaring out him and declaring him a murderer when he had done nothing wrong.

"Bluekit! Come back!" Snowflower called after him. He ignored her soft, sweet voice and her silky words so much like his mother's. Bluekit didn't want to listen to her right now, either.

He just wanted to curl up in his nest and sleep forever.

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

It was night when he woke. He was alone in the nursery, with Snowflower in the warrior's den again and Sunpaw sleeping with the apprentices, but for once he enjoyed being alone. There was no pressure, no glares, no nothing.

Bluekit yawned, stretching and getting to his feet. What to do? The nursery was silent except for the quiet sound of him breathing, the mossy nests pushed to the edges of the bramble den.

He remembered what Snowflower had said to him earlier. 'Bluekit! Come back!' Hadn't his mother said almost the exact same thing all those moons ago, only a few minutes before she told him to leave her behind and find a safe place to live?

'Blue! Come back to mommy!'

Her voice rang in his head over and over again. _Mother._ He sighed, lost in his last memories of Silver, eyes half-closed. Bluekit shivered slightly as the voice died away. He didn't want to be alone without her in this strange world of the clans.

Bluekit didn't have to be alone. He had Snowflower and Sunpaw, and he had his memories of Silver. Was he greedy for wanting more, though? Selfish? Snobby? He trotted lightly to an abandoned nest and rolled some of the moss into a small ball the size of a newborn kits.

 _Aspen. Who was born dead._

He rolled another ball into a slightly bigger shape, placing it next to the smaller moss ball.

 _Sweet. Who died when the fox attacked us._

A third ball, bigger then the second and the first one put together, soon joined the other two.

 _And Leaf. Who was killed when father tried to murder mother, her, and I._

It was his father, Bracken, who was the fault of all their troubles. He had not wanted kits, but then Silver had given birth to four mewling bundles of fur, even after she vowed not to have any.

Silver had tried to hide them and keep them safe, but after the news of a fox attacking a mother and three kits, Bracken had soon figured everything out. Bracken tracked them down and attacked in the middle of the night, managing to kill Leaf, but Silver and Bluekit had escaped. They ran for a quarter moon until Silver sent Bluekit out ahead to find himself a home.

That was how Bluekit had come to ThunderClan.

With the remainders of the mossy nest he had been using to make the three moss balls that stood for his three sisters, he made a much bigger ball to stand for Silver.

Now he could never be alone, not with his true family surrounding him every day.

In peace at last, Bluekit padded back to his nest and pulled it over to the four bundles of moss, curling up with them as he drifted off again to sleep.

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

"Wake up already, you murderer!"

A cold voice growled, snapping Bluekit into the waking world. Briarsong stood over him, her gaze full of fury and hatred.

Cowering under her, Bluekit let out a timid mewl, "What do you want, Briarsong?"

"I'm moving into the nursery. You're going to have to sleep outside. So go! Get out!" Briarsong's words were unrelenting. Sure enough, her mate, Brambleleap, stood behind her next to a large and comfortably mossy nest.

Bluekit glanced around widlly, searching for his moss family, but they were gone. Briarsong must have used them to make her nest.

A pang of regret shot through him. He wanted be defiant, to stand up for himself, but something told him there was no point. Arguing would only make him more hated then ever.

He sighed, dipping his head and stood up, bending down to grab his nest.

Briarsong swatted him to the side. "Go on already!" she hissed. "You don't need a nest, you murderer!"

Tail dragging on the floor, Bluekit struggled to his feet and made his way outside, ears flattened. The clearing was full of warriors bundling around and giving orders. Bluekit reared onto his hind legs, catching a sight of his golden-furred friend.

"Sunpaw!" he shouted.

Sunpaw glanced at him, eyes shadowed. Rosesplash stood next to her, her thick-furred ginger tail resting on Sunpaw's golden flank. Then Sunpaw turned away slowly, trotting out of camp next to Rosesplash.

Resentment flooded through Bluekit. "Come back!" he yowled angrily. "Or if you don't want to be my friend, that's fine! I don't need you either!" His fur was bushed out in his fury, and he spun around, preparing to storm back into the nursery when he remembered that he wasn't welcome there anymore. Briarsong and Brambleleap wouldn't allow it.

He stopped, glancing over his shoulder only to find everyone staring at him with ruffled pelts. _They don't want me here, either. So why do I stay? I bet Snowflower wouldn't stop me, and she's the only supposed friend I have left._

Bluekit turned back around, leaping onto the first rock of high ledge. Astonished gasps rose from the crowd, and he heard them whispering angrily amongst themselves. "I'm leaving," he announced as loud as you could. "You don't want me here, so I'm not staying."

Hope scorched through him, and he scanned the crowd for sorrowful gazes or guilty gazes or even pitiful ones. He met only ones full of delight and satisfaction, and a few cheers rang out.

"Goodbye to the murderer at last!"

"Finally! I can't believe we ever brought him prey!"

"He killed Stagfoot! It's about time he moved on!"

Head and tail hanging, Bluekit trotted out of camp. He had best call himself Blue, again. After all, he wasn't a clan cat.

 _Not anymore,_ he told himself. _And never again._

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

Shadows surrounded Blue. It was midnight in the forest, and he had found himself a small rabbit hole to shelter in for the night. Yet he could not go to sleep, memories of his happy times with Sunpaw echoing in his mind.

A single thought had continued to strike him, moment after heartbeat after moment. _Why doesn't she like me anymore?_

His one desperate hope at this point was to have a friend. A relative. A mate. Even if it was merely just someone who didn't consider him a murderer, he would be up to meeting them. Anything to feel slightly closer to a normal, ordinary, day-to-day cat. Or kit, to be honest.

Blue's still spun with questions and anger, and ever a little bit of sorrow. He had left a place where he had been fed every day, even though he had been hated. Even if no one really wanted him there, he had been cared for. In the majority, he had been safe.

Sighing, he wondered if leaving was really such a good idea.

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

He woke up a moon later to the sound of bird song. Blue yawned, stretching, and got his paws. For once he felt relieved and care free. He no longer had to worry about anything except his next meal.

Blue crouched, letting out a satisfied purr as he leapt into a low branch of a tree. He was only six and a half moons old, and already so strong! Why, you might ask yourself. Because he had to do everything for himself. He patrolled his own territory like ThunderClan did, caught his own prey, and fought off his own enemies. Whenever Blue had free time on hand, he would train until he was stronger then ever.

He would not fall like Aspen.

He would not fall like Sweet.

He would not fall like Leaf.

He would not fall like Silver.

He would not be like Bracken.

He would not be like ThunderClan.

He would be himself.

He would do his best and prove himself to no one but himself, for he was the only one who's opinion matter when it came opinions about himself. For once in his life, Blue felt strong and free and smart and brave.

Sure, his family was dead and he didn't seem to have any friends, but he was thriving more than ever. Maybe he was meant to survive by himself and to live a life of independence. And Blue was fine with that. He wanted that foreign, lonely life. Why? Because wherever and whenever he had lived with others, he had only been brought down.

Here, out in the wild by himself, Blue soared so high he could touch the sky, even without wings. Blue felt like he could do anything and everything when he stood on the ridge that looked down at ThunderClan territory and the lake.

Like an eagle, he would fly!

Like Silver, he would always try!

Without doubt he would push on each time!

There was no question that he would never commit a crime!

Blue was free.

Blue was happy.

Blue was successful.

Blue was satisfied.

There was nothing more in this life that he wanted. If Blue were to pass on and die, he would die happy. Only six and a half moons old and already so wonderfully feeling. Something brilliant must have happened when Blue left ThunderClan.

His inner Blue must have awoken.

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

Blue stalked his squirrel, crouching and preparing to pounce. His eyes were trained on the ginger and gray shape, barely moving, concentration so fierce on his target. Flying through the air, he landed on it perfectly, killing it instantly.

Purring, he stood up, picking up his neat catch. It hadn't even known it was being hunted!

Blue turned to go, only to face three snarling ginger shapes. Foxes! His fur bristled, and he tossed the squirrel to the shelter of a bush. The young eight moon old blue-gray tom was determined to keep his meal, no matter what.

He dug his claws into the ground, tail lashing, as he prepared to fight. The first fox, an ugly ginger brute, stepped forwards. Scars lined the fox's face, and muscles rippled under it's red fur.

The fox lunged.

Blue shrieked, launching himself into the air. The other two foxes moved in, and he could already tell that he was surrounded. Spinning, he lashed out a paw at one fox, but it dodged nimbly, leaving Blue stumbling. The third fox sank its teeth into Blue's tail. Yelping, he yanked his tail away, pressing himself against the ground.

The tom found himself wondering what his mother would do. Run? Fight offensive? Fight defensive? Merely give up?

Maybe the question Blue should be asking was what would Bracken have done. _He would have killed all of the foxes on the spot. But I'm too weak for that, am I not?_ Ne snarled angrily, but plowed forwards, nipping one fox's paw before weaving through its legs and tackling the first fox from the side.

Letting out a grunt of surprise, the fox stumbled, but managed to stay on its paws, barking to his companions. The other two foxes leapt at him, landing on both Blue and their leader.

He gasped, rolling away and springing back to his paws, chest heaving for air. "I'll win this fight and you know it!" he panted, quivering with the shock from being squashed.

Again, he was tackled. Spitting, Blue's paws and teeth flailed, raking and biting and injuring whatever they could reach. Constantly, he flinched from newly inflicted wounds, but he kept on fighting. _Just like mother. She never gave up._

Blue let out one more yowl before the last of his fighting spirit left him. He was going to die.

A golden shape flashed in the corner of his vision, yowling and hissing. The cat flung itself onto the biggest fox, raking its ear with sharp claws. Letting out yelps of surprise, the foxes turned to defend themselves.

Blue crawled away from them and into the bushes, leaving his squirrel behind.

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

Blue licked his wounds quietly outside his den, contemplating the fox fight silently in his mind. Why had Sunpaw of all cats come to save him? She hated him, right? Blue wasn't supposed to have any friends!

Maybe it was another cat. After all, Sunpaw wasn't the only thickly-furred, golden-pelted, 8 and a half moon old, golden-eyed, beautiful she-cat in the world. Or was she?

Blue flinched and recoiled as he realized he had called Sunpaw beautiful. He didn't even like her!

Yet no matter what he told himself, Blue knew that he would always have feelings for Sunpaw.

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

Another moon passed. The nine moon old blue-gray tom had healed completely from the fox attack, and he had to admit that he was stronger then ever. His territory was expanding steadily now that he was strong, swift, and smart enough to defend it all, and he had developed a den stronger then badgers, with almost seven layers of brambles protecting it on each side, and long tendrils of ivy wrapping around it and weaving every piece together ever better.

Blue had taken to a daily routine of marking his borders, hunting, eating, napping, marking his borders, and then enjoying his free time. It was simple with his days all planned out for him ahead of time, and Blue enjoyed all of the simplicity.

Today, however, was different. Instead of his normal routine, he was going to investigate the fox attack site and see if he could find their dens and drive them away from his territory. There was no way that Blue could afford to be so weak again. He had to live, if not for his littermates or his mother, but for his father. He had to prove that they could survive Bracken. They had to prove that their family could and would live on forever.

Sniffing the air to check for danger, Blue trotted out of his den. It was the crack of dawn, and a frosty morning breeze blew through the forest. Leaf bare was approaching. Blue shivered for a moment, adding extra hunting to his mental checklist. If he managed at least one meal a day he would consider the leaf-bare a well-done job on the hunting part. Thinking of leaf-bare reminded him that he needed to make his den warmed, but Blue knew he didn't need to focus on that now.

Right now he just had to get to the fox fight place.

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

Stepping into the clearing, Blue glanced around. It had been so long, yet so much blood still stained the ground. He could smell rotten food, and the blue-gray tom recognized the remains of the squirrel that he had been trying to defend. Nose scrunching, he turned away from it, trotting over to where a golden tuft of fur clung to a thorn bush.

Sunpaw. His savior. A faint growl rose in Blue's throat. He wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or not. I mean, not a single ThunderClan cat cared for him! Or did they? The thought echoed over and over in his head, and he tried unsuccessfully to push the thought away.

His sniffed the blood on the ground. It was a mixture of his, Sunpaw's, and the blood of the foxes. Blue could see four different sets of bloody paw prints, each leading in a different direction. He recognized one set as Sunpaw's, seeing the outlines of pads as the tracks headed back towards ThunderClan.

Blue swung his head, gaze locking on the next set of tracks. Taking a step forwards, the blue-gray tom padded over to the deep paw prints. He was delighted to see blood staining them. After a heartbeat of hesitation, he started to follow them, nose to the ground as he double checked his path. In the back of his mind he was scared, but he told himself that whatever happened, he wasn't going to die.

After all, he would only be fighting one fox at a time, right?

Taking a deep breath, Blue shuddered, paws itching to flee back to his den. He didn't have to do this, right? He could just let the foxes have their own territory and change his boundaries to allow for them live on the edge of his borders. That would make everything alright... He just had to believe so.

By the time he reached the end of the fox trail it was sundown. The freezing evening breeze chilled Blue to the bone, but he didn't dare stop. The sooner he drove out the foxes, the better things would be and not just for him, but for the whole of the forest. The blue-gray tom stumbled on in the dark, relying on the starlight to light his path.

Dark thoughts and memories haunted him of when he and his mother had run from Bracken, until Silver made him go on without her. Why had he listened? Blue should have stayed with her. He should have stayed and healed her. Then everything would have been alright.

No. Everything would have been alright if Silver and Bracken had never fallen in love. Blue trembled in the dark, leaning against the sturdy trunk of a tree. He wouldn't have been born, then, and neither would have Aspen, Sweet, or Leaf, but it would have been worth it. Silver would have lived on unscathed. The blue-gray tom knew in his mind that his dead sisters would agree that anything could happen as long as Silver was alright. Even Aspen, the little sister who he had never gotten to know.

 _Our mother will always mean everything to us,_ Blue thought to himself silently. _Nothing can stop us from loving her above everything else. Food is nothing compared to Silver. Silver, my poor, poor mother._

He had reached the fox den. Blue gazed at the dark hole in the ground, his brilliant green eyes shining in the dim light of the night. Tasting the air, a humongous wave of dread flooded the younger blue-gray tom. He had been wrong. The foxes had merely fled in different directions; they still all shared the same den.

Something sounded from inside the fox-hole. Eyes wide with terror, Blue took a step back, shaking wildly. He let out a croak, "D-Don't hurt me! Please!" It sounded like a pitiful wail. Angrily, Blue lashed his tail, not wanting to admit how scared he was of the mighty ginger brutes.

A scared face appeared in the hole, and a low bark echoed throughout the night. Two more fox faces appeared next to the first one, eyes lighting up with excitement. Letting out growls, the three foxes emerged into the cold night air, short ginger tails lashing and hackles rising. Sly grins appeared on their faces one by one, and Blue felt more terrified then ever.

Turning around, he fled, shooting across the forest floor like lightning. He weaved through the trees, eyes fixed on the horizon.

Multiple sets of paw steps thudding on the forest leaf mulch floor told him that the foxes were following him. The chase was on.

Blue ran as fast as he could, but as he leapt over a fallen log his paws scraped the bark and he flinched, his body slapping the ground with a sickening _thump_. The blue-gray tom let out a weak and bruised growl, struggling to his feet as two of the foxes bounded around the sides of the tree, and the leader fox leapt over the log. Just like a moon ago, he was surrounded.

Blue let out a yowl, forcing his bruised body to leap onto the log. The smallest and youngest looking of the three foxes let out a whine, and the leader fox let out a growl, clouting the little one. The smaller fox shook his head and trotted forwards, eyes full of contempt and exhilaration.

The other fox let out a bark of encouragement, tail lashing, and the master fox glared at it. Blue didn't watch the foxes any longer. Thrusting off the trunk of the log, he sailed over the fox's heads and landed running on the forest floor. The quicker he got home, the better. Either way, he knew he couldn't afford anymore mistakes.

His body screamed in protest as he ran, and he panted, chest heaving with every movement. But Blue knew he couldn't stop; no matter what, his feet had to continue running until he was safely inside his den. Once there, he could brush stray bramble over the entrance and then he would be completely safe from the foxes; he had barricaded the walls for a reason.

Blue skidded around the corner, relief feeling his as he realized he was at the clearing where the fight with the foxes had broken out. That meant he didn't have too much longer to run.

The blue-gray tom pushed his tired body as far as it could go, finally spotting the den just as jaws closed around his tail. Blue yanked himself free and dove into his den, turning around immediately to block the entrance.

The three foxes snarled angrily outside, barking orders to each other and trying to get into his den, but all of their attempts were unsuccessful. Blue was safe. He purred to himself happily, sighing. Even though his tail stung like fire, he had made it. He had shown those foxes who was better. He had proved he was stronger and swifter and smarter. And no matter what the foxes might do to him, nothing could change that in Blue's mind.

He fell asleep amongst him mossy nest, listening happy to the angry and frustrated growls of the foxes. They couldn't get him, the mighty Blue of the forest!

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

Three wholes moons had passed without a single sign of the foxes. Blue had enjoyed the peace, but it felt a little quiet. Way too quiet. He had a nagging suspicion that something was up, but he had pushed the voice of his instincts to the back of his mind long, long ago.

He had picked up his old routine again, happily enough, with his border marking and patrolling, and then his hunting, eating, and napping, followed by yet more border patrolling and then another session of free time. Except he almost did the same thing every day during his free time. He met with a certain beautiful she-cat with golden fur and golden eyes.

Every day he did his best to meet with Fading Embers, the kind, adoring, beautiful, nice, loyal, brave, passionate love of Blue's pitiful life.

Golden fur, soft to the touch, always smooth and silky. Small, delicate paws that were always clean, and her sleek pelt that smelled like flowers. Every inch of her thick-golden fur shone in even the faintest rays of sunlight, as if she was the sun itself. Her berry-pink nose, so bright and vibrant, and her warm golden eyes that glowed with every strong emotion. Fur so wavy, so rippling, that it was so easy to get lost in, and her long tail that would curl around her little paws whenever she was to sit down. Her tufted ears complimented her fur-lined face perfectly, and her lean build was lined with muscle just the right way. Oh, Fading Embers was beautiful. There was no doubt about that.

Blue had first met the beautiful she-cat during a walk one foggy early leaf-bare morning. She had been stalking a rabbit, but when he came trotting along it ran away. At first, Fading Embers had been angry in her beautiful way, but then she had begun to calm down and they decided to go hunting together After all, two sets of paws was always better then one set.

They caught a scrawny rabbit and three tiny mice that day, which was enough for both of them to head home with very full bellies.

The next day, Blue had found himself wandering towards where he had met Fading Embers. Luckily enough for him, he had found her out preparing to hunt, and they joined together again to form another tiny hunting patrol.

Again, they were successful, returning to their meeting place with a thrush, two water voles, and small squirrel. They had divvied up their catches and both of them headed home to their dens.

By the fifth night Blue had known he was in love with the beautiful golden she-cat, and he asked her to walk with him that morning after their hunt. Patrolling his borders could wait; right now he didn't want to leave her side. They had walked through the cold side-by-side, pelts brushing, and Blue had been happy. Perfectly happy.

Now Blue trotted through the forest towards their meeting spot, ears pricked and fur groomed thoroughly to look as good as he could look. He would die of embarrassment if anything bad were to happen, he was sure.

As he neared their meeting place, he could start to hear a faint sound. He couldn't tell what it was, so the blue-gray tom continued as always, dismissing the faint buzzing.

The noise steadily began to grow until he knew very clearing what it was. Yowling, shrieking, and cats fighting for their lives. Was Fading Embers amongst those cats? The thought struck him with lightning, and Blue fur bushed out, tail lashing. He would slay whoever dared injure his love! Charging through the forest, he followed the sounds of fighting as fast as he could.

Blue skidded to halt at the top of a clearing, green eyes stretched wide as he stared down at a bloody scene. It wasn't Fading Embers. It was a ThunderClan patrol about to be slain by three foxes, the youngest one also the smallest and one a giant russet brute with lacing scars across his fur.

His hackles flattened in relief, but at the same time rose again with shock. Sunpaw was in the patrol. She had saved his life. Now it was time for Blue to return the favor.

Letting out a caterwaul, he charged forwards, leaping onto the big leader fox that had Brambleleap pinned, just like how Sunpaw had done when it had been him pinned.

The three foxes let out angry barks of surprise. Dealing a few hard blows with claws unsheathed, Blue knocked the fox to the ground as he pounced onto the small one. He sank his teeth into its russet furred flank, raking his hind legs as well and drawing deep scratches that oozed blood.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Blue could see Brambleleap and Sunpaw scrambling to their paws, leaping to help Briarsong.

"Brambleleap! Sunflame!" the former queen was crying desperately. The fox who had her pinned was lifting up one paw, ready to deal the death blow.

So it was Sunflame now. She was a warrior.

Taking advantage of his distraction, the small fox shook himself wildly, flinging Blue off. He landed in the bushes, struggling back to his paws only to be face-to-face with the leader fox yet again. So many times had it happened, he realized. But this time, for once out of all those occasions, he wasn't scared. If anything, he was excited.

Leaping, he tackled the fox, hissing and spitting. Blue wasn't going to let the ThunderClan cats down as long as he could help it.

 _They hated you,_ A thought told him as he lashed out with one paw, claws unsheathed. _They hated you and accused you of murder. Why help them now? Why?_

For a moment, resentment pricked in the back of Blue's mind. The next moment, he had pushed the emotion away, focusing of the flashing of claws and the gleaming of fangs.

The fox bucked underneath him, and Blue lost his grip, flying to the ground and landing on it with a solid _thump_. He groaned, but as claws raked down his flank, Blue forced himself to his feet.

He wasn't going to give up. The foxes were.

Blue remembered how he had bested the foxes all those moons ago; three whole moons, to be exact. His skills wouldn't fail him now. He was sure of it.

Rearing, he swiped one paw above the fox's head, and it's gaze followed his paw, preparing to dodge his attack. Quick as lightning, Blue flashed out his other forepaw, slashing the giant fox's chest.

Letting out a yelp of surprise, the fox stumbled backwards, and Blue took the chance to dart past it and leap on the middle-sized fox as it tried to pin Sunpaw- no, it was Sunflame now.

Looking into her familiar golden eyes and gazing at her familiar golden fur and smelling the sweet smell of flowers, Blue's thoughts flashed to Fading Embers. She had the same rippling, wavy fur, the same warm golden gaze.

As Blue flung the fox off of Sunflame, she let out a weary, rusted purr, "I wondered if I'd see you along, Blue."

"Fading Embers," Blue breathed. "Did you- Are you really- Sunflame?"

She nodded, warm golden eyes full of emotion as she gazed at him. Suddenly, her caring gaze changed to one of shock and horror. "Blue! Duck!" she shrieked, lunging forwards and shoving him to the ground.

Her pained wail filled the clearing, ringing over and over and over again in Blue's mind.

He struggled to his paws as the fox who had inflicted the wound bounded over to the leader fox, ears pricked in his excitement.

"Sunflame!" he cried, leaning forwards and touching his nose to her pelt. Her breaths were faint yet rapid, but she was alive, and that was enough for him. Blue collapsed, burying his nose in her soft, warm fur.

A bark sounded, and Blue glanced up, distracted from his newly rediscovered love. It came from the master fox. Narrowing his eyes, Blue slowly got to his feet.

 _You started this war. Now it is time for you to pay._

 _You started this war. Now it is time for you to pay._

 _You started this war. Now it is time for you to pay._

 _You started this war. Now it is time for you to pay._

The thought echoed in his mind until he couldn't stand it any longer.

"You started this war!" he yowled, stepping forwards over Sunflame's limp body. "And now it is time for you to pay!"

Charging forwards, he let out a fierce caterwaul and using his hind legs to thrust himself off the ground. For a moment the master fox seemed to stare at him, seemingly surprised, but the next heartbeat he was responding with his own fierce battle cry, meeting Blue's leap head on.

Time seemed to slow down.

Blue sailed through the air, landing at the master fox's feet and immediately diving underneath its belly, twisting to nip the coarse russet fur before scrambling to get out again.

Too late, time sped back up to normal and the leader of the trio of foxes crashed down on him, snorting with crude amusement. Blue narrowed his green eyes, hissing, fur bushed even under the fox's weight. He barely felt the pressure; the pain. Instead, he leapt to his paws, arching his back and bucking as the fox rolled off of him, surprised.

He gasped, inhaling the sweet, wonderful air, before rearing and swiping at the fox's ears. He could hear Brambleleap and Briarsong fighting off the other two foxes behind him, but Blue didn't dare look behind him to check on the them, the blue-gray tom knowing anyone distraction might cause him his life.

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Blue awoke, panting, in his nest. Green eyes stretched wide, he dug his sharp claws into the freezing leaf-bare ground. Had it really all been a nightmare? No. The wounds running down his flank were too real for it to just be a nightmare. It was a memory and a part of history.

Remembrance flooded the blue-gray tom of how he had rescued Sunflame, Brambleleap, and Briarsong from the three foxes and how he had discovered that Faded Embers was really Sunflame herself. The dream had been so strong and so vivid, though. Blue could barely believe that he had managed to have a nightmare so much like the real thing.

Sorrow and worry pricked him now, and Blue wondered if Sunflame was alright. She had been knocked unconscious saving his life, and the ThunderClan cats had dragged her back to the ThunderClan camp without a word, though he had seen the astonishment in their eyes.

 _Yes,_ he purred quietly to himself, thinking and recalling yesterday's events. _Yes, a 'murderer' saved your pelts. And a loyal ThunderClan warrior is loved by that same 'murderer'. Not so much of a murderer, am I?_

Smug, Blue yawned, getting to his feet and stretching. It was about time he went out hunting, and if he was lucky, maybe he would find Sunflame at their meeting spot. The blue-gray tom trotted out of his den, confidently padding through the forest. He weaved through the trees, eyes fixed on the horizon as he continued on. Sunflame was alright. She had to be.

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

Two more moons passed, every day slow and painful. A cautious patrol of three warriors had sauntered off into the woods, searching for Blue's den, and upon arrival had broken the news to him that Sunflame had died. This had all happened two days after the fox fight, and it had left the blue-gray rouge tom shattered inside.

He would miss Sunflame forever until the end of time. Blue could feel it in his bones and in the gaping black hole in his chest where his heart used to be.

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( )**_ _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

Shadows haunted Blue every day; his movements were slow and he was unfocused. The few catches he made as leaf bare transitioned into newleaf were sloppy and careless, and his skin clung to his bones.

The grief that came from Sunflame's death was killing him slowly but steadily.

He limped throughout the forest, head and tail hanging. His tail-tip dragged through the dirt, carving a shallow ravine behind him. Around the trees gradually transitioned from oaks and birches to pines and cedars, and faintly Blue remembered something about shadows and the clans, but he didn't bother to try and remember more.

Early today he had picked at the remains of some crow food he had found not too far from a thunderpath, leaving him still ever hungry. But Blue didn't try to make his hunger go away. He merely lived with it, miserable and depressed as ever. A few days and times he managed to cheer up a bit, cracking a terrible joke to himself and grunting in faint amusement. But most days he lived with the same old ebony cloud hanging over his battered body.

"Hey! You!" a voice shouted.

Blue flattened his ears, continuing on in silence.

A dark brown tabby tom crashed out of the bushes, a russet tom who looked about Blue's age tumbling after him. "What are you doing in ShadowClan's territory?" the first cat asked, fur bushed up and tail lashing.

The russet tom looked much more friendly, his pelt smooth and amber eyes glowing with mere simple curiosity and mild interest.

"I'm taking a walk," Blue hissed. "You want to try and stop me?"

"It would be my honor!" the tom hissed back. He flicked his tail-tip towards the russet tom, blue eyes gleaming with contempt. "Stagheart and I will crush you easy, rouge. Be warned; you won't come out of this fight lightly."

A flash of pride surged though Blue, and he straightened up, head and tail high for the first time in what seemed like forever. "It happens to be you and Stagheart are very wrong," he mewed evenly.

"I am Blueheart, warrior of ThunderClan."

Heartbeats passed, full of nothing but silence. Then, the dark brown tabby tom let out a laugh, blue eyes full of amusement. "I know you're lying, rouge," he snarled, fur ruffling. "But that's okay. After all, you're not going to live suffer the consequences."

"Stop!" Stagheart let out a yowl, charging between Blue- or was he Blueheart?- and the ShadowClan tom.

The russet tom glanced at first his clan mate, and then Blue. "I apologize for Stormclaw's actions," he mewed timidly, dipping his head. "We mean you no harm, really. But will you please tell us your real name? I'm sorry; I don't mean to accuse you of lying, but we would have heard if there was a Blueheart of ThunderClan, surely."

For a moment Blue was tempted to lie and insist he really was a clan warrior, but he ignored the urge. "My name is Blue," he mewed simply. "I did use to be Bluekit of ThunderClan, the orphaned rogue, but I left."

Curiosity sharpened Stormclaw's gaze, and though his flanks smoothed and his tail stopped lashing, his claws remained unsheathed. "I remember you," the warrior hissed silkily, tilting his head. "You were the accused of the murder of Stagfoot, were you not?"

Blue's thoughts spun, and after a period of open silence he responded, "Yes. I was. But I didn't murder Stagfoot; the only creature I've ever killed was a fox."

Stagheart nudged Stormclaw, and Blue strained his ears, listening to what the friendly and peaceful tom had to say.

"Let's take him to Hollystar. He looks like he would be a good addition to ShadowClan's ranks, if he's willing." Stagheart whispered.

After a moment of thought, Stormclaw nodded and lifted his blue gaze to meet Blue's green one. "Would you like to come back to ShadowClan with us and meet our leader? We might have an offer for you..."

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

Blue padded into the ShadowClan camp flanked on one side by Stagheart and on the other side flanked by Stormclaw. The two warriors led him across the small clearing to a den hidden in bramble thickets, much like Blue's own living space.

Stormclaw stuck his head inside the den, calling out, "Hollystar! We have a visitor!"

Almost immediately, a scruffy dark brown tabby she-cat looking much like Stormclaw slid out from the brambles, amber eyes sharpened with interest. "What do you want?" she asked, voice as sweet and as smooth as honey.

"I'm thinking we might have found a new member for ShadowClan," Stagheart responded for Stormclaw, sounded both triumphant yet embarassed. "His name is Blue."

Hollystar's amber gaze met Blue's green one for a heartbeat, and the scruffy dark brown tabby she-cat eyed him for a moment. "Does he wish to join?" she added softly. Blue couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Yes, I do, if you will have me," Blue stepped forwards, meowing the words queitly yet confidently.

"Then I think we have a warrior ceremony to attend to," Hollystar responded at once.

The ShadowClan leader trotted to a space next to the entrance of her bramble den and leapt, hind paws thrusting her into the air. She grabbed on to the trunk of a hazel tree, scrabbling up it until she stood on a branch that hung over camp.

"Let all cats strong enough to fight their enemies gather under the hazel branch for a clan meeting!" she yowled, voice not only powerful but forceful.

Cats flowed out through the brambles from everywhere, filing into the clearing and sitting down. All gazes were fixed on Hollystar, full of curiosity and interest.

Hollystar beckoned with her tail for Blue to come forwards. "Today we welcome a rogue as our newest warrior. His name is Blue," she mewed, padding to the end of the hazel branch and leaping down to stand next to him.

"I, Hollystar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this rogue. He has lived by himself for a while, but he knows how to fight and hunt all the same and he has made to decision to join this clan. Blue, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?" her words were so strong that Blue almost forgot that it was his turn to speak.

All gazes now landed on the blue-gray tom. "I do," Blue mewed confidently. "And I also promise to learn everything that I need to know as soon possible."

Mews of aprooval rung throughout the crowd, and something that looked like pride and delight flashed through Hollystar's amber eyes for a second. "Then from now on," she continued smoothly. "You shall be known as Blueheart. StarClan honors your determination and potential, and we welcome you as a full warrior ShadowClan."

"Blueheart! Blueheart! Blueheart!" ShadowClan yowled his new name to the stars, eyes shining with open spirits.

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

Blueheart soon settled into the daily routines of ShadowClan, all of his sad memories of Sunflame no longer haunting him. The warriors of ShadowClan had welcomed him warmly, and now Blueheart felt more at home then ever before.

There was absolutely no doubt that Stagheart had quickly become his best friend. Who would Blueheart be without his best buddy? Stagheart understood everything. He actually cared about Blueheart, too. The blue-gray tom knew it in his bones.

Stagheart even understood what was troubling him most. Something that had to do with how far away from his love for Sunflame had strayed. After all, now there was his newfound love for Hollystar.

The scruffy dark brown tabby she-cat hadn't doubted him when she let him join, and she had supported his struggle as he learned ShadowClan's unique ways of doing things. Hollystar had spent a good amount of her own valuable time making sure that he was settling in well and that he was making friends with the rest of the clan.

Every time amber eyes met green, Blueheart would tremble, passion and devotion flooding through him. Hollystar loved him back, surely.

Those moments all led him up to this day. Today was the marking of the beginning of his second moon in ShadowClan.

Blueheart trotted confidently out of the warrior's den, Stagheart at his side. Together, the two toms padded across the clearing to the fresh-kill pile, where his russet friend selected a squirrel for the two of them to share.

Out of the corner of his eye, Blueheart could see the oldest litter of kits, known simply as Toadkit and Fernkit, were conversing excitedly amongst themselves. Anticipation pricked him; their apprentice ceremony would be today.

The two devoured their squirrel swiftly, and Blueheart stood up, ready to go talk to Cedarstripe and see what his duties were for the day.

A scruffy dark brown tabby she-cat swarmed up the hazel tree, however, before he could move. "May all cats old enough to fight their enemies gather underneath the hazel branch for a clan meeting!" Hollystar yowled.

Stagheart shared an excited glance with Blueheart, and the two warriors purred. This was their chance to become mentors!

"Today Toadkit and Fernkit have reached their sixth moon in our clan, and so therefore it is time for them to be apprenticed," began Hollystar slowly. She leapt down from the hazel branch into the clearing, landing next to Toadkit.

Hollystar glanced at the mottled brown tom, adding, "From this moment on, this kit shall be known as Toadpaw. Stagheart, your former mentor Stormclaw taught you bravery and determination. May you pass on those qualities and more to your apprentice."

Excitement surged through Blueheart, and he nudged his best friend to his paws. "Go on!" he whispered to Stagheart. "You deserve it!"

His russet friend got slowly to his paws, eyes full of shock and delight. He padded stiffly forwards and touched noses with Toadpaw, and Blueheart was relieved to see Stagheart relaxing and enjoying the moment.

Now it was time for Fernkit. Blueheart closed his eyes, praying to StarClan that he would be chosen as the golden-brown dappled she-kit's mentor.

The ShadowClan leader continued with the ceremony with smooth words and narrowed eyes, adding, "I trust you will do a good job. Now, some of you may not agree with my choice of mentor for Fernkit, and I will not blame you, but he has prooven to be strong and loyal during his moon with us. I see no better mentor for Fern _paw_ then Blueheart."

The blue-gray tom's eyes shot open. He had been chosen! Trusted! Believed in! Getting to his paws, he padded swiftly over to Fernpaw and bent down a little bit to touch noses with his new apprentice. He led her over to the side of the clearing as ShadowClan let out proud cheers.

"Toadpaw! Fernpaw! Toadpaw! Fernpaw!"

 _ **. ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . ( ) . (**_

Two more moons passed, and finally the day of Toadpaw and Fernpaw's first assessmint arrived. Blueheart and Stagheart stood next to the fresh-kill pile, waiting for their apprentices to wake up and join them.

"Do you think I should wake them up?" he asked Stagheart anxiously.

His russet friend shook his head, responding, "No. You'd only embarass them on their first big day!"

Blueheart nodded, seeing the sense in his best buddy's words, and sat down, wrapping his blue-gray tail over his blue-gray paws. Excitement was overfilling him. Sitting down, he watched the entrance to the bramble den intently. Hopefully they would be up soon; not only was it a first assessment for them, but it would be a first assessment for Blueheart. He had never acted as any part of an assessment.

A golden-brown dappled face poked out of the shadows. Blueheart stiffened, holding his breath.

Fernpaw stalked out of the apprentice den, her fur slick and neatly groomed. She must have been washing. A more groggy looking Toadpaw followed her, the mottled brown apprentice twitching his tail irritably.

As he noticed the two mentors standing there, he straightened up, quickly grooming his ruffled chest fur.

Blueheart rose to his feet, greeting them with a nod before beckoning to Stagheart to instruct their apprentices on the rules.

Stagheart nodded, and the two shared a knowing glance before his russet friend stepped forwards and spoke, "Today is your first assessment. You are to go and hunt as much prey as you can, without working together as well. Blueheart and I will be watching you, to see your skills. Remember, this is not your warrior assessment, and it is always okay to make mistakes. We're only seeing what we need to work on and what level you're at right now. We will tell you when you are done. You may start now."

As soon as Stagheart said the words, Fernpaw shot out of camp, tail streaming behind her. Toadpaw quickly hurried after her, shooting a fleeting glance at the fresh-kill pile. _He must have been looking forwards to a meal,_ Blue thought, belly rumbling. _I could do with one, too._

The two friends followed their apprentices out of camp, splitting up to track their apprentices. "Best of luck to you and Toadpaw!" he called over his shoulder, glancing back.

A voice responded from past brambles and thorns, "And the best to you and Fernpaw as well!"

He slowed down as Fernpaw's scent became stronger, stalking across the ground. Huddling under a fern, he watched as his golden-brown dappled apprentice treaded the ground lightly, barely moving, stalking crow.

The black bird didn't expect a thing, instead pecking through the leaf mulch in search for some food.

Suddenly the crow stiffened. Blueheart froze, willing Fernpaw to pounce.

She flew through the air, landing on the crow and killing it neatly. Fernpaw stood up, the crow clenched in her jaws, and trotted over to the roots of a pine tree. Digging a shallow hole, she lay the crow in it and covered it up with leaves and pine needles, sniffing the air one more time to make sure that she didn't forget the location of her catch.

As Fernpaw trotted away to find more prey, Blueheart had an idea. Padding over to where she had buried her crow, Blueheart swiftly uncovered it and picked it up. He carried the crow with him as he followed Fernpaw. How would she react when she returned to find her prey gone?

When he found her she carried a frog and a mouse in her mouth. The looked like it had been a sloppier catch, but the mouse was neatly killed. Fernpaw was heading back toward the oak. Blueheart shadowed her through the bushes, halting as he heard a furious yet alarmed hiss. She had found the missing prey-hole.

Blueheart kicked the crow behind him into a holly bush and covered the scent trial with pine needles before turning back to Fernpaw.

"Someone stole my crow!" she yowled, fur bristling.

Fernpaw stared around the clearing, looking angry. Blueheart couldn't blame her, truly. Someone had stole her crow, for StarClan's sake. "Blueheart, come out of there!" she yelled. "Someone took my crow! We need to find that thief!"

Sliding out of the bushes, the blue-gray tom narrowed his eyes. "You can try to find them if you want," he mewed. "Or you can continue hunting. Whatever you do, I'm not allowed to help you."

His apprentice looked ready to snap back a response, but then she nodded quickly. "Okay." she sounded better now, much more calm, as she contemplated her options silently in her head.

Finally, she crouched down, sniffing the air. Blueheart purred softly. She was hunting. ShadowClan would be fed before she investigated the loss of her crow. Slipping back into the bushes, he found the crow and waited for Fernpaw to bury her new catch, a raven, and head off. As soon as she was gone, he trotted back into the clearing, burying the crow with her other prey.

It was almost dusk. Blueheart watched as Fernpaw unburied all her catches, delighted to find the crow back. It was time to head home. Fernpaw shot him a glance, eyes sparkling. "Do you think I did good? Like, did I catch more than Toadpaw, do you think?"

Blueheart nodded. "Very good. I'm sure you caught more."

Side-by-side, they started back to camp. Blueheart carried the raven, a mouse, and the frog, and Fernpaw carried the rest, clutching every catch carefully. The blue-gray tom didn't blame her, instead padding slightly ahead of her in silence.

As soon as they set Fernpaw's catches down on the fresh-kill pile, a shriek sounded from behind them and Toadpaw and Stagheart bounded into camp, both bleeding heavily. They sunk to the ground at Blueheart's paws, eyes wide.

"Rogue attackl!" Stagheart panted.

Soon the whole of ShadowClan had gathered. Hollystar and Cedarstripe slowly approached Blueheart, Stagheart, Fernpaw, and Toadpaw. The clan medicine cat, Hawklight, followed them, worry filling her eyes. Blueheart twitched, ears flat. Fernpaw bristled beside him. Pelts brushing, the two backed away from their injured clan mates and into the crowd of ShadowClan's warriors.

 _Who attacked Stagheart?_ Blueheart wondered, shuddering. _Which rogues would have done such a viscous thing to a young warrior and a fairly new apprentice?_

The blue-gray froze suddenly, not daring to breathe. He had known all his life about a vicious murderer. His old ThunderClan clan mates had thought he was this cat. They had been wrong. This cat, the killer of Stagfoot, ThunderClan's former deputy, was still here and had been here all along.

 _And Stagfoot and Stagheart have almost identicle names. Stagheart could be next!_

"Blueheart! Blueheart, are you okay?" Fernpaw whispered, poking her gently with one paw.

Blueheart's fur bushed for a few heartbeats, and he glanced away. "I'm fine," he muttered hoarsely. "You go eat, and then get some rest for training tomorrow."

Fernpaw took a hesitant step back. "Are you sure? What about you? You should eat and rest, as well."

"I'm sure, and I will do that." Blueheart responded absently. _I'll eat and rest after I've dealt with this murderer, this cat who's probably going to kill my best friend!_

The blue-gray tom hurried out of the ShadowClan camp, sniffing the air to make sure he was going in the right direction. He followed Toadpaw and Stagheart's trail for a few minutes in silence, nose to the ground and tail lashing quietly.

Suddenly he came upon the acrid smell of scarlet blood. He jerked to a halt, taking shelter in the shadows of some ferns.

He could see movement. A golden tabby tom with lacing scars stood sniffing at the piles of blood, satisfaction filling his eyes. Distant memories stirred in Blueheart's mind, but he pushed them away.

Jumping out of the ferns, he lunged at the golden tabby tom with unsheathed claws. His opponent spun to meet him, his formerly triumphant eyes now emotionless. The two toms both reared, swiping out at each other until the golden tabby ducked, lunging forwards and sinking his teeth into Blueheart's belly.

Letting out a pained yowl, Blueheart fell backwards, twisting until his enemy let go. But before he could get up, the golden tabby tom had him pinned. Blueheart stared in the golden tabby tom's amber ones, those faint memories trying to stir again. Angrily, he shoved them back a second time.

Recognition and shock flashed in his enemy's eyes. "Blue!" The tom spat, sinking his claws into Blueheart's shoulders. "You're supposed to be dead!"

The force of his fury made Blueheart shudder. "Who are you?" he mewed, embarrassed and infuriated by his shaky mew.

"Don't you recognize me?" The tom sneered, leaning in close. "Me, your very own father?"

 _Bracken!_ Blueheart quivered, flattening his ears. His memories came flooding back, first of the fox attack, then of Bracken's raid, and then of running for his life beside Silver. He had come so far since the mewling, weak, stranded bundle of fur he had once been.

"Do you know if Silver's alive?" Blueheart whispered at last.

Bracken smirked. "I caught up to her and killed her, the lying mange-pelt. She said foxes stole you the night before I found her dying. I moved on anyways, just in case, and I even managed to kill a light brown tabby tom before I decided to double check Silver's body again. If you were near, I would have killed you, too."

Anger and grief scorched through Blueheart. He lunged upwards, fury lending him strength and power. "I _hate_ you!" he shrieked, narrowing his eyes and concentration on nothing but his rage and grief. " _I hate you!_ "

Knocking Bracken over, he sank his teeth into his father's stomach, then reared backwards, tearing flesh. He felt blood on his paws, but did not stop, lashing out his forepaws and raking them down Bracken's bloodied belly.

Bracken scrambled to his feet but slipped, falling back down again. He looked at Blueheart with angry amber eyes, the slightest hint of fear showing through.

Lunging, Blueheart swiped Bracken's head up and closed his jaws around Bracken's throat.

 _I hate you._

 _You killed my mom and one of my sisters._

 _If you hadn't terrorized my mom, maybe my first sister would have lived longer._

 _If you hadn't driven my mom mad with fear, we wouldn't have been changing dens every night, and then we wouldn't have been ambushed by foxes._

 _If you hadn't killed my sister, maybe she would still be here with me._

 _If you hadn't murdered my mom and chased her away from her home, maybe she would be standing right next to me._

 _If you hadn't done all this, I wouldn't have been sent off to send my life, how terrible yet wonderful it was._

 _And now it's time for revenge. It's time for sweet, sweet revenge._

Bracken suddenly fell limp, and Blueheart let go, staring down with cold eyes at the dead golden tabby shape of his father.

Hollystar stepped out of the bushes, her eyes shining with concern. By the looks of it, she had seen everything. "So..." she murmured.

"I'll explain everything later, okay?" Blueheart mewed gruffly. "But for short this is the cat who murdered Stagfoot of ThunderClan and attacked Stagheart and Toadpaw."


	28. Dark Days

**Dark Days:**

"Oh! Oh! I wanna hear about the Great Storm, mama! Do you think the elders will tell me about the Great Storm?" A shrill voice sliced through the air, making the old she-cat wince.

Her fur was ragged and matted with age, yet her black-furred pelt was still beautifully dappled with light grey flecks and her tail-tip, ear-tips, and chest were the same light grey shade. Last but not least, she had intense, icy blue eyes that a few of the younger cats rumored could see right into your sole and thoughts these days.

"Of course, dear," a sweet, honey-like voice responded. "But, you and your brother had best bring them some prey. I'll come with you."

"Okay, mama!" A tom's voice piped up.

The elder grunted and turned her head slightly to glance at her den mates. One was a pale silver tabby she-cat with green eyes named Silverwillow, and the third of the elders was a dark brown tom with a black tail tip and amber eyes, fitting call Ambereyes.

Three cats slipped through the honeysuckle into the den, leaving the black-furred elder to curl her lip. They wanted to hear about the Great Storm. The very thing that had taken everything away from her.

The she-kit of the trio, a little golden tabby she-kit with golden eyes, dropped a mouse in front of Silverwillow. "Will you please, please, please, tell us about the Great Storm?"

"Of course, Wrenkit," Silverwillow replied warmly. "Thank you very much for the mouse, too."

"Icekit, is that vole for me?" Ambereyes added pleasantly. The little gray-and-white kit nodded vigorously and Ambereyes chuckled. "Don't worry, little one. Silverwillow and I will be happy to tell you two about the Great Storm."

The duo's mother, Palebreeze, shot the third elder a sympathetic look. _At least she knows of how terrible the Great Storm had been for her_ , she thought bitterly, hissing silently in return.

"Now, it all started one night when we were all sleeping," Silverwillow began, her voice low and enticing. "None of us had any idea the storm was going to come, and-"

"And I think that it goes without question that I should be the one telling this story!" The light gray-flecked elder burst, jumping to her feet with fur bristling. "I was the one who lost everything, was I not?"

Silverwillow and Ambereyes shared a quick glance before Silverwillow hastily dipped her head. "O-Of course, Rainstrike. Go ahead."

Rainstrike prowled forwards until she towered over the two kits and started the story over again. "Once upon a time, back when I was nothing but a young warrior, leaf-fall was only just beginning, the leaves only just becoming tinted with gold and red and brown and the breeze only just becoming colder and colder, like ice instead of dew. We were all sleeping in our dens- I, myself, was curled up next to my two sisters. Their names were Willowfern and Aspenwing.

"Anyways, it was a cold, dark night, and we were unfortunate enough to have Frostfoot on guard when she had just been out on a border patrol. She was tired and more then ready to sleep, so she decided to dare to take a nap even though she was the only cat on watch. That was when the storm hit. You should have seen the clouds, dark as night as they rolled in and covered the twinkle of the stars and the light of the moon, trapping all of the clans in darkness.

"Willowfern woke up to go to the dirtplace. While she was crossing the lowest point of the hollow, a heavy shower started up. Instantly, she was soaked, and a large puddle was growing rapidly in the clearing. So my sister let out a yowl to alert the clan and came back to the den, insisting that she would get everyone up and out while Aspenwing and I got the kits, queens, and elders out of their dens and to safety.

"That's how we lost her. By listening to her. She was determined to be the last one to leave the warriors den, after every other cat, but before she could leave a huge wave crashed into the den and tossed her into the branches of the den, where she was stuck. By the now, the water had risen to the point with any cat smaller then the average warrior had to swim to keep their head above the water. We couldn't help her, and we couldn't save her. In fact, the only thing we could do was watch her drown.

"Our leader was named Nightstar, and she forced me and Aspenwing both to leave Willowfern and head to safety with the rest of the clan. Echowing, our mother, and Thornflight, our father, found us and swept us away into the middle of the clan as we travelled into the forest, wary of lightning, thunder, and water all at the same time. Yet things were calming down and by the time our slow procession reached the abandoned twolegnest, we are calmer and more certain.

"Yet, right as my parents, Aspenwing, and I were about to enter the nest, lightning struck a tree down and it toppled down towards us. Aspenwing barely managed to push me out of the way in time before I would have been killed, and even though I survived, Aspenwing didn't. She sacrificed herself for me. Now there was just my mother, my mother, and me; my two sisters were both dead, struck down by the storm.

"However, Aspenwing had pushed me away from the twolegnest with about half the clan and my parents had leapt into the twolegnest with the other half of the clan. We were separated, and the combination of both the pounding rain and tremors from the fallen tree made the nest collapse, and I couldn't reach neither Echowing nor Thornflight to help them. Thornflight was crushed by the falling stones, but Echowing managed to hide where a branch of the tree met the trunk. Still, she was trapped, and the fallen rocks had bruised her.

"Only two other cats died from the collapsed, and the rest of the clan managed to escape the rubble injured but alive. We left the nest, the sound of my agonized wails heard above even the pounding rain. Eventually, we found shelter in a tunnel and we stayed there for the next half moon. At last, Nightstar let me check the twolegnest rubble for my mother to dig her out. When we got there, though, she was dead. It had been too long and she had been too hurt. We buried her and returned to camp.

"After that, a quarter moon passed. Finally, we were able to return to camp, and that was it," Rainstrike finished. She eyed the kits, taking a step back.

Immediately, Wrenkit jumped a teensy bit into the air. "What was the tunnel like, Rainstrike? And your parents? And your sisters? Were they fun? Did you love them?"

Icekit broke in to Wrenkit's jumbled words, adding, "Was the Great Storm scary? Who were the kits? Are they warriors now? Can you tell us more details? Please, please, please? You're a really good storyteller, and we could bring you a whole _rabbit_ if you want, Rainstrike!"

The dark, haunted mood that Rainstrike felt seemed to brighten a little in the face of the kits, and she felt somewhat free now that a new generation of kits knew of her side of the story. "You know," she mewed after a few moments of silence. "You don't even have to bring me a rabbit. Now what do you want me to tell you first?"


	29. Hello From the Other Side

**Hello From The Other Side:**

Lilypaw yawned, stretching. The pale cream tabby she-cat was curled up in her mossy nest, eyes shut tight and her white-tipped tail curled over her nose. Through slightly darker-shaded ears she heard the sounds of everyday life going on, but somehow the apprentice couldn't bring herself to wake up to meet it.

Dawn light filtered softly into ThunderClan's apprentice den, dappling her pale cream tabby pelt with patches of golden light. One paw was stretched out, barely brushing the moss of a gray tabby tom's nest.

The tom's name was Ripplepaw. Ripplepaw was Lilypaw's littermate, and he just happened to be the best fighter, and the best hunter, and fastest climber out of all the apprentices. To be honest, there were only five of them, but it still made every day go by with the knowledge that they would never be the best. They could only be second best, besides Ripplepaw.

Ripplepaw blinked open his frosty blue eyes, scanning the apprentice den calmly before licking a scrap of moss off of his forepaw. His blue gaze rested on the pelt of a white she-cat; Snowpaw.

Was it really any secret that Ripplepaw liked Snowpaw? Not to Lilypaw, it wasn't. Every day she would see her brother and Snowpaw, and she would internally flinch and recoil. They were 11 moon old apprentices, almost warriors, but it felt too young to go moon over some cat. Didn't Ripplepaw have any sense?

No one spoke out against it, though. Ripplepaw would merely trail after Snowpaw, and call her over to share a rabbit that he caught, or maybe a squirrel, or a pheasant.

Rising to his paws, Ripplepaw padded out of the den. His thoughts were clouded with darkness; Lilypaw could sense all this without moving a muscle.

Now it was Lionpaw and Palepaw's turns to wake. The two apprentices had joined them in the den only a few days ago, but they were already battered and tired each day from training. Some said that Lionpaw had the strictest mentor in the clan, but Lilypaw herself didn't mind Robinfall's presence.

The darker speckled ginger she-cat poked her head in; Robinfall's eyes were narrowed as her gaze locked on her apprentice. "Get up," she ordered.

Lionpaw raised his golden-and-ginger head, blinking sleep-crusted amber eyes. "What?" he yawned. "Oh, okay. I'm coming, Robinfall."

With an approving nod, Robinfall disappeared.

Lilypaw could sense all of that, and more. Why, you might ask? Because she paid attention to every little detail. Even with closed eyes, she watched. A nod gave a quick downward or upward whoosh of motion, and a shake of a head sent some air to either side. Every little breeze she felt; every breath she heard. Her whiskers, even without trying, paid attention to everything in the air. When someone was speaking close to her, the air would be warmer from their breath.

Attentive? Yes.

Strong? Not so much. Lilypaw had always been a small, lithe shape, her fur defining her appearance instead of her muscles.

"Palepaw? Are you going to come and join us?" The polite call of the ginger tabby she-cat's mentor, Wrenflight, rang into the air.

Palepaw raised her head, woozy. "Huh? Training? Uh... Cool!"

Waking up at last, Palepaw bounced to her paws and sprang out of the den, Lionpaw following her with only a tad less energy. As Snowpaw followed them as they left the apprentice den, Lilypaw felt solitude weigh over her.

Enough to make it seem like she was alone, but not quite enough to deceive the pale cream tabby she-cat. Wrenflight was still there, watching her silently. At last, Lilypaw forced herself to raise her head, opening her golden eyes to the steadily brightening den.

"Do you want something from me?" Lilypaw asked, voice solid instead of soft from sleep.

Wrenflight hesitated, then shook her head, sighing. "No. But Thornstorm will be along soon, so there's no point in going back to sleep."

Lilypaw sighed and heaved herself into a sitting position and Wrenflight left. Thornstorm was her mentor. The large golden-brown tabby tom was a fierce fighter, and a good friend to her, as well. Though he was a young warrior, he had been chosen to mentor her by Silverstar.

She gazed her pale cream tabby fur, letting out a yawn now that Wrenflight was gone. Leaning forwards, she started giving her pelt a few rough licks. Twitching her whiskers, Lilypaw paused momentarily, sensing a warmer current in the air. Why was that?

Twisting her head to the left to follow the warm air current, Lilypaw rose to her feet, ignoring her ruffled fur. She placed one small pale cream tabby paw on the ground, and then another, soon finding herself trotting outside the apprentice den and towards the back of it. A new scent, harsh and fierce, was blasted at her, along with a crude stinging in her eyes.

A thin, gray, wispy substance was swirling slowly from beneath a bracken frond. Curious, Lilypaw leaned forwards, nudging it. Immediately, warmth coursed over her as the bracken fell away, revealing a small but fierce blaze.

"Fire!" Lilypaw shrieked, fur bushing out.

Without the slightly damp bracken to stop it, the fire blazed onto the dry, sandy bottom of the hollow, spreading rapidly. Freezing, Lilypaw stared at the wildfire, eyes wide with terror.

Horrified shouts rang from the main clearing, Silverstar's voice barely heard over other's frantic calls as the ThunderClan leader tried to give orders. She didn't listen to her leader, instead caught up in panic as she watched flickers begin, followed by fire spurts, and then becoming blazing towers of ginger flame. It was itching towards her, Lilypaw's forepaws warm and her fur prickling.

Teeth clamped around her tail and dragged her back. Stumbling, Lilypaw stared at her savior for a few moments before registering who it was. Ripplepaw. Of course. Her brother nudged her, worry flashing in his eyes only for a moment before they hardened again and he became the boastful brother he had always been.

"Go on," he urged. "Run! I shouldn't have to save an apprentice twice!"

Biting back resentment, Lilypaw started rushing towards the camp entrance when a pitiful wail stopped her in her tracks. Her gaze swept over the blazing follow, resting on Brambleflower. The brown-and-white tabby queen was trying desperately to heard her five kits towards the entrance. She carried the smallest of her litter, Graykit, in her mouth, but the other four were darting around wildly, tails streaming behind them in terror.

Bounding over to the kits, Lilypaw grabbed Flamekit just as the ginger she-kit would have ran into a patch of fire. The kit fell limp in her jaws, staring at the blaze that could have killed her. Spinning around, she reached out a paw to pull a black tom kit towards her; Nightkit froze, watching her with wide, scared eyes.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lilypaw could see Brambleflower nudging Hazelkit towards her. Summoning all of her courage, Lilypaw forced herself to walk calmly to Nightkit and lead him over to his mother. She adjusted her grip on Flamekit for a moment so she could speak. "We're going to be okay."

Flamekit let out a tiny squeak in reply, mewling, "But father didn't! Sootember died!"

It was true. Lilypaw shuddered. Moons ago, when had only been a few moons old, the young warrior Sootember strayed too far into the twoleg greenleaf meadow, and he had been spotted. Running for his life, Sootember accidently skidded into one of the twoleg fires. Screeching, the young tom had raced toward the lake to cease the fire.

"Your father died of fire," Lilypaw agreed softly. "But that doesn't mean you will, too."

Soon enough Snowpaw bounded over and grabbed Hazelkit, swiftly followed by Silverstar, who snatched up Nightkit and pounded for the entrance. The rest of them followed frantically, the fire at their heels.

"Here, let me take Flamekit." It was Thornheart.

Lilypaw nodded, shifting so that Thornheart would be able to take hold of the kit. For a moment he leaned towards her; the next, he was pulling away with Flamekit swinging from his jaws. Thornheart lengthened his stride, starting to pull ahead.

The pale cream tabby apprentice didn't worry too much that she was falling behind; the one thing she had been worrying about was gone now, thanks to Thornheart, and all she had to do was run. Lilypaw merely had to run like the wind.

Brambleflower's tail tip disappeared from sight, and Lilypaw quivered mid-stride. Even though she wasn't trying particularly hard, she shouldn't be lagging behind like this. The apprentice skidded to a halt and sighed, glancing back in the direction of camp.

What she saw through her golden eyes was like a nightmare to the young cat. The air, not too far away, was already thick with smoke. She could ginger blazes smothering the trees, the bushes, the leaves. Lilypaw shuddered violently, taking a step back as a spark flicked towards her. She flinched away from it and turned, breaking back into a run. The pale cream tabby she-cat stretched her legs with each bound, moving as fast as she could without running into anything.

She weaved through the trees, golden eyes narrowed, until finally she erupted onto the lake shore. Her clan mates were huddled on the sand in a circle, all facing inwards towards each other expect a few cats who were most likely on guard in case the fire came any closer.

"Why aren't we across the WindClan stream?" Lilypaw called to them.

Thornheart's eyes widened and he spun to face her, many other cats doing the same. "You're alive!" her mentor gasped. "We were afraid the fire got you!"

Ripplepaw took a few steps forwards. "Looks like the runt's back," he muttered. Lilypaw glanced away from him, her gaze resting on silver tabby shape; Duskflower, her mother.

Duskflower darted over to her, nuzzling Lilypaw happily. "I was so scared for you," her mother murmured. "What happened?"

"I was the cat who saw the fire," Lilypaw explained in a whisper so that only her mother could hear. "Ripplepaw saved my life when I froze. I was about to leave camp with the others when I saw Brambleflower's kits going wild. I saved Flamekit from getting herself burnt into a crisp, and got Nightkit under control, as well. Finally, we left, and Thornheart took Nightkit from me. But I slowly began to fell behind, and at one point I stopped and looked back..."

"You need to grow more!" Duskflower urged her, eyes gleaming.

Lilypaw rolled her eyes. "Ma, you know I can't control how much I grow!"

"Eat more healthy prey! Younger prey, too!" The silver tabby responded instantly, drawing away from the pale cream tabby. "And Ripplepaw shouldn't have to save you! My sweetie is brave and strong and smart, but we can't risk losing him saving the life of a lesser apprentice."

Flinching, Lilypaw hurried over towards the lake shore. "What's going to happen?" she whispered, staring at her reflection in the water.

Glancing over her shoulder, Lilypaw sighed. So much had happened... The clan was gathering farther down the shore, and she heaved herself into a walking position and pranced over. She found herself sitting next to Palepaw, leaning slightly against the younger apprentice. Silverstar was sitting in the middle of the circle, her fur smooth even in the terror of the situation.

"Let all cats of ThunderClan gather for my words!" Silverstar called quietly. The cats who had been chatting quietly silenced themselves, and all cats' were gazing at their leader.

Silverstar's eyes were full of some unknown emotion as she met the each and every gaze with a look that seemed to sweep through the whole forest and all the way across the lake. "ThunderClan, a tragedy has happened today. Yet we are still alive; we are still strong, too."

A few yowls of agreement met her words.

"Though today has had quite a tragic start, we won't let it end this way. We will shelter here by the lake for a few, and if we have to, we will send out hunting patrols. These patrols will have two priorities; to catch food and to keep themselves safe," Silverstar explained. "Though before I list who is on the patrol, I would like to make sure you all know exactly who called out the alarm and saved us all from burning or worse."

Cats glanced at one another, uncertain. Lilypaw held her breath and shut her eyes, anticipation weighing heavily inside of her.

"Ripplepaw."

Outrage blazed through Lilypaw, and she shot to her feet, glaring at her brother. Reluctantly, Ripplepaw stood up as the eyes of the clan fell upon him. "It wasn't me," he declared, shooting an apologetic glance in Lilypaw's direction. "It was Snowpaw."

The white she-cat bristled, shocked. "It was Lilypaw!" she blurted, adding, "And that's the truth! She saved us all!"

Palepaw nodded, calling out, "I saw her, and heard her, too! I'd recognize her voice anywhere!"

"She's our savior," Lionpaw added, eyes glinting.

Slowly, the cats of ThunderClan began to cheer her name. Lilypaw beamed proudly, tail twitching happily.

"I, Silverstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to learn the warrior code, and today she proved herself by saving us all from a raging fire that would have killed many of us without her." Lilypaw stared at her leader as Silverstar spoke, speaking the words of a warrior ceremony. "For that, I commend her a warrior in her turn. Lilypaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Lilyflame."

Lilyflame closed her eyes, listening as her clan mates cheered her name.

The ThunderClan deputy, Stagflight, stepped forwards. "We will send out the hunting patrols now!" he announced. "Ivystone, take Owltail and Oakstorm towards the ShadowClan border. Larkfeather, you'll lead Briarface and Lilyflame towards WindClan. Remember, be careful!"

Larkfeather nodded, beckoning with her tail towards Briarface and Lilyflame. Hurrying over, Lilyflame attempted to train her thoughts on the task ahead of her, but the shock from her warrior ceremony still clouded her focus.

Soon, they broke up into three solo patrols, each of them heading in a different direction. After a moment of hesitation, Lilyflame had claimed going inwards towards the heart of the territory; Larkfeather had shrugged and decided she would keep going onwards, and then Briarface had dropped into a crouch and gazed around, signaling that she would stay and hunt there.

The pale cream tabby warrior hurried inwards, ignoring the smoke that made her cough. But the gray haze grew steadily thicker, and eventually she heaved a sigh and broke into a run.

Her paw steps had a deeper, more echoing sound to them then normal, but Lilyflame didn't pay attention to that little detail like normal. Her mind was too far away to care to care about the little things; from her perspective, it felt like a whole different world was surrounding her.

If she had been paying attention, she would have felt the ground tremble beneath her feet.

If she had been paying attention, she would have heard the rumble of the ground.

If she had been paying attention, she would have realized the connection between what she heard and felt with collapsing tunnels.

If she had been paying attention, she would have seen the ground in front of her caving in.

But she hadn't been paying attention.

Lilyflame let out a screech as she was sucked into the earth, dirt spilling into her mouth. Suddenly, the sensation that she had been falling was gone, and her head slammed down onto cold stone. Everything went black.

* * *

 _She was lying in darkness, shadows looming over her. Her back half was covered with mounds of dirt, firm around her slim body. Blood streaked down her sides, drying rapidly and crusting her ruffled fur with rusty scarlet. One ear was torn, and a few paw steps away lay a glistening claw that was tinted red with blood. Injured, she was. Injured, crushed, and dying._

 _If this cat had been a normal cat, she would have been dead._

 _Yet this cat wasn't normal. This cat was special, with a special destiny to face if she could follow the right paw steps._

* * *

Lilyflame blinked. Her body was sore, and it ached all over. She was lying on her left on top of a ruffled heap of bracken, a moss ball lying close to her. Even in the very dim light, she could just make out the dark outline of a creature only a fox-length away, with glowing amber eyes and a shorter tail then what most cats would have, if it even was a cat.

Tensing her injured body, Lilyflame was about to scramble to her feet and growl she realized something was missing. Something that was very, very important. Something that was a part of her.

Slowly, the warrior dragged her gaze from the thing and let it rest on where her right hind leg would have been. Instead, there was bloody mess of fur where the top of her hind leg had been, and nothing where the lower part had once lay.

"I'm sorry. I had to cut off your leg; it was the only was to stop the infection from spreading," mewed a tom.

Her gaze jerked back around. The cat had risen to his feet and was padding in a patch of slightly brighter light; he was a gray tabby tom, like Ripplepaw. "I'm Shade. I found you half-buried in dirt and dragged you out and all. Here," the tom flicked his tail. "I caught you something to eat."

Next to her lay a minnow. Too tired and shocked to complain, Lilyflame twisted her head and ate the tiny fish, the harsh flavor almost making her retch.

"I'm Li-" She cut herself off. "You can call me... Flame.'

'Flame, eh?" Shade asked, sounding amused. "Okay then, 'Li-''

Embarrassed, Flame glanced away. "So where are we?"

"I guess I forgot," Shade rumbled. He waved his tail at the stone that surrounded them. "Welcome to the tunnels."

* * *

Flame yawned, pulling herself into a sitting position. It had been almost a moon since she had entered the tunnels, and today Shade said she could finally try to walk. Ever since she had first met him, he had continued to bring her fish and talk to her and bring herbs for her wounds. He had explained to her that a twig in the cave-in had ripped a wound in her leg, and the dirt had then infected it seriously. Shade had admitted that he had been very worried that she might die.

"If you need help, I'm right here," the gray tabby tom mewed softly.

Nodding, Flame started to stand.

Immediately she toppled over, sprawled onto her side. Shade darted over, his blue eyes full of worry as he gazed at her. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Flame grumbled, struggling to roll over her belly. She tried again, this time lasting a heart-beat longer.

A third try proved to be just the same as attempt number two, but on the fourth try she managed to stand all the way up. Once there, Flame froze, but a sharp intake of breath caused her to lose her balance and all again. This time, when Flame hit the stone floor, she didn't rise again.

"Flame?"

"What...?"

"Do you want help? You can lean on my shoulder. There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Yes there is!" Flame snarled suddenly, temper flaring. She reached out with her forepaws and dragged herself back into her nest, wrapping her tail over her nose. "Good night and go away."

Shade nodded and left.

* * *

Another moon had passed, the days ticking away rapidly. It had been hard, and she was still learning, but Flame was starting to be able to walk despite the loss of her right hind leg. Shade had continued to fetch her prey and everything else she needed, and though Flame tried not to show on the outside she appreciated his actions more then she could put into words.

But even though life underground was strangely perfect as it was, every morning Flame would wake up expecting to see her clan mates, even through the full two moons that had passed since she had first ended up in the tunnels.

Flame staggered to her feet and limped forwards, letting her unsteady gait bring her to the edge of the cave. This was the tunnel where Shade always came from. She didn't know where it led, nor the others, though she was dying to find out once she could travel all around the tunnels.

But she knew that Shade's curiosity as to why she had said 'Lil' that first time was probably stronger, along with the wonder of where she came from. Or was it possible he knew of the clans and had put it all together?

Flame frowned. "Shade?" she called, slightly distracted. Normally he would be here by now.

No response.

"Shade?" she repeated, louder.

Still she could hear nothing but the sound of her voice echoing down the tunnel.

Panic started to gnaw at Flame and she stiffened. "Shade!" she yowled. "Shade, where are you?"

"Flame!" his calm voice came from behind her and so she spun around to see him standing there, a squirrel in his jaws. "I took a different route today since I wanted to catch some of the food you're used to." He nudged the squirrel towards her.

She shuddered violently, nearly toppling off her feet. "I thought you were dead!" she exclaimed. "I was worried, Shade! Really worried! I don't like the stress, please, or-"

She clamped her jaws shut, inched forwards, and set off to eating the squirrel. But two moons had been a long time, and the taste of forest food was strange and unnatural. It was slightly scary, but she dismissed it with a flick of her tail and continued eating.

When she was done, she sat up slightly. "Shade, can you teach me how to fish today?"

"Sure," he responded, shrugging. "Looks like you're done. Shall we get going?"

* * *

Three more moons and Flame was completely healed. Tonight she would be departing from the tunnels to find her clan again, or maybe continue to live the solitary life she was used to now. She wasn't sure.

She hadn't told Shade of her planned leave yet, as she feared he would convince her to stay. Yet Flame was certain her destiny didn't lie underground- she had to go.

The three-legged cat followed the paths through the tunnels until the faintest rays of moonlight could be seen. There she sped up, feeling herself grow more excited every second.

And then?

Then she was bursting into cool night air.

Then she was surrounded by a peaceful tranquility.

Then she was feeling the ferns brush her pelt and the wind brush past her fur.

Then she was free.

* * *

Her departure hadn't been as solid as Flame had hoped. The next day had brought her back to the tunnels, the daylight so unusually bright that she had no choice but to return. She had bumped into Shade and the two had talked briefly.

The next day was the same. The light was a little better, but nowhere near tolerable. Again, she had spoken with Shade.

The next half moon was the same process, but the quarter moon after that was a little more straggled. Then, at last, came the day where Flame saw Shade outside of the tunnels. He had been slipping through the bracken when she had tackled him to the ground, as stable on her paws now as a four-legged cat.

"Shade!" she mewed softly in his ear. "What are you doing here?"

"Had to find you," he panted. "It's been too long. I miss you. Will you meet me at the tunnels tonight? I-I don't want to stay out in the sunlight for too long."

"Understood," Flame mewed rapidly, ushering him to his paws and back towards the tunnels. "Go on, tunnel cat. Stay in the shade, Shade."

Shade disappeared into the bushes in a flash.

* * *

After that, they had met up every night, and Flame had finally admitted to herself that she loved him. Shade.

Right now the she-cat was on her way back to the tunnels to meet with him. She padded quickly, her three paws prancing across the ground. At last, she dove into the tunnel entrance, slipping through the familiar darkness as if she had been doing so all her life.

When she came to their meeting spot, his scent was stale. He hadn't been here since yesterday.

Flame frowned. He lived here, so he was always there before she was. But maybe she had arrived early?

She waited for a while only to find he hadn't arrived. There wasn't a chance he had forgot, was there?

Standing, she darted down one of the tunnels. She knew where he slept- maybe he had taken a nap and overslept?

Flame started to panic when the scent in his nest was stale, from yesterday's night instead of anytime today. Something had happened to Shade, but she didn't know what. Still, she had to find him! She had to save Shade, just he had saved her.

 _Oh, where is he?_ Flame scurried through tunnel after tunnel, trying desperately to catch a whiff of their scent yet finding nothing. Eventually she burst outside, hearing the voices of a group of cats.

She was face to face with some awfully familiar cats.

Duskflower, Ripplepaw, Snowpaw, and Flamekit.

She remembered the names in an instant, yet they only hissed at her and surrounded her.

"What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?" Ripplepaw growled.

Flame shuffled backwards. "Duskflower? Ripplepaw? Snowpaw? Flamekit? Don't you remember me? I save you from the fire!"

Snowpaw narrowed her eyes, pressing against Ripplepaw. "My name is Snowsong and this is my mate, Rippleheart. And this is his apprentice, Flamepaw."

Flame stared. "No. Way. Don't tell me you actually became mates with my brother?"

"What do you mean, his brother?" Duskflower snarled. "I have two kits, Rippleheart and Lilyflame. And Lilyflame's dead. Burnt in a fire."

"But that's me!" she protested.

"Nonsense," he mother hissed. "My daughter has all four legs."

She took a nervous step back. "But I lost the other!"

The four ThunderClan cats shared a long glance.

"Why don't we give her the same welcome we gave the gray tabby tom from earlier?" Duskflower mewed icily, her eyes glinting.

 _Gray tabby tom?_ "Shade!" Flame shrieked.

Surging forwards, the patrol soon made quick work of the three-legged cat. And there she lay, limp and barely breathing, sure to die if Shade didn't find her soon.

If he had somehow survived his welcome, that was.


	30. Our Past

**Our Past:**

"Come on!" Echo called, silver tail waving from side to side as she paused to glance back at her kits. "We've got to get to shelter before you three catch colds!"

She stared forwards at her mother. The silver pelt of Echo was soaking wet, but she stepped forwards easily, her grown-up and stronger body easily battling the pounding rain.

 _I'm not a fish,_ she thought bitterly. _And I'm about to freeze into an icicle!_

It was true. The young kit was shivering wildly, her whiskers drooping in the rain and her down. She was a few paces behind her brother and sister, both of them the identical image of their mother.

Another bitter thought came across her. _It's not my fault I'm the only who doesn't look like mom! So why does everyone act like it? Appearance doesn't matter, does it? At least momma doesn't seem to care._

She struggled forwards, focusing on putting one paw in front of the other as best she could.

When she looked up, Misty (her sister), Cloud (her brother), and Echo were even farther ahead.

"Wait for me!" she wailed, but the rising wind whipped away her call. The others continued heading forwards.

The kit continued to try and pad after them, but an extra strong gust knocked her onto her side. "Momma!" she cried out, eyes wide and watery. "I'm still here! Wait for me! Mom! M-Mom?"

There was no response from up ahead.

Instead the tiny shape was left alone in the storm, the rain pouring down on her and the wind whipping at her fur. She was too weak and cold to stand up and move; instead she would have to just hope she would be alright.

* * *

The rain had died down to only a little more then a drizzle as the black-furred she-cat picked her way through the trees. It had rained all night and now she was intent to make sure none of the streams or rivers nearby and in their territory had flooded.

She was weaving through the trees when she heard a weak cry through the rain.

Stopping, she pricked her ears. _What was that?_

The sound repeated itself and she moved closer, slipping quietly through the bushes as she tried to track down the source of the noise.

When she peered through the a patch of ferns she saw a pale gray-flecked black kit lying limply on the ground. Its mouth was opening and closing rapidly as she let out weak mewls.

She hurried between the ferns, stopping in front of the kit. Sniffing the air, she could tell it was a she-kit, only a few moons old.

"Mom?" the little kit sounded confused, but her ice blue eyes were wide and trusting, desperate, too.

The black-furred she-cat hesitated before responding. "No, I'm not your mother... My name is Ravenstar, and I'm the leader of NightClan. Is there something I can call you?"

There were a few moments of silence before the kit rasped, "My momma never named me. And then they left me behind in the storm, my brother and sister and momma."

She stroked her tail sympathetically along the kit's flank. "Well, I'm going to call you Rainkit, then, if that's okay with you. For of the rain that caused me to find you. I'm going to take you back you back to my clan, if you don't mind. I have a cat- we call them a medicine cat- who can help make sure you don't have a cold or anything, and then, if you decide you wish to, you can join NightClan officially."

The kit seemed to perk. "Yes, please," she mewled. "Rainkit sounds cool! I think I'd like to be called that. Are medicine cats fun? Do you know where my momma went?"

Ravenstar hesitated before responded. "Yes, medicine cats can be fun. And... I don't know where your mother is."

"Or Misty or Cloud?"

"...No. I'm sorry, Rainkit, but even if we tried to track them the heavy rains washed away all scents."

"So no Echo? And no Misty? And no Cloud?"

"No."

Rainkit blinked. "Rainkit sounds cool. I think I'd like to be called that. Are medicine cats fun?"

The NightClan leader widened her eyes. "I think I'd best get you to back to camp now."


	31. When the Sun Sets

**When the Sun Sets:**

 _Far, far away in a parallel land lived three small clans of cats. One clan- RoseClan- was particularly happy and peaceful out of the three._

 _Unlike the other two clans, OakClan and SunClan, they had no need to battle over territory nor no want. They were perfectly satisfied with their own land, a large and boggy swamp with a clump of rose bushes in the dryer land near the middle._

 _RoseClan never fought with the never other clans because the other clans had no need to fight them. The only cats who knew where to find and how to catch the prey in RoseClan's swamps were RoseClan cats- that said, they had no use in taking RoseClan's land and RoseClan never attacked them, so relationships between RoseClan and other clans were always calm and peaceful._

 _The leader of RoseClan at this point in time was Bogstar- not a very delightful name, but a true one. His warrior name had been Bogpelt because his fur blended in perfectly in the swamp._

 _And as with every leader RoseClan had, they were perfectly happy. Everything was fine, so why shouldn't they be happy?_

 _At least, everything was fine in the day. But when the sun set..._

 _Mysterious things happened. It was as if their swamp because possessed at night. Any cat who went out on a walk at night in RoseClan was seen nor heard again. They simply vanished. They prey in the fresh-kill pile would be raided- gone, just like the cats. Any strange thing that was in the clearing or the territory that had happened that day would seem to have floated away._

* * *

Bogstar narrowed his hazel eyes, glancing around at his rows of warriors. His mate, Tigerlily, stood at the end of the line, her blue eyes round and full of trust as she gazed at him.

 _She trusts me to make the right decision,_ he thought to himself. _I can't let her down._

He let his claws slowly sink into the ground and then out again. Yesterday an apprentice had gone to the dirtplace in the night and never returned- it had used to be that area was safe in the night from the mysterious creatures but now that Flypaw was gone, it seemed not.

So he had told his clan that, tonight, he would do something about the mysterious presence and free RoseClan once and for all.

 _'We should be able to roam the night and the day,_ _'_ he had declared. _'Tonight I shall take the bravest and strongest of my warriors and we will go out and stop this madness!'_

His clan had cheered.

They trusted him, too.

And so now he had to make his move.

"Who would like to go with me on the night patrol? I warn you now that this will be a very dangerous mission- the chances are high that we will not return if we are unsuccessful," Bogstar warned. His fur pricked along his spine at the thought.

There was silence. And then a dark gray tabby tom rose to his feet. Graystorm.

Graystorm glanced from side to side and then mewed, "I will join you, Bogstar. Nothing means more to me then the safety of my clan, and I promised when I became a warrior that I would sacrifice myself for RoseClan if necessary- we all did. I would be betraying myself and all of you by not volunteering."

There were a few quiet cheers for the brave warrior. Bogstar flicked his tail, beckoning for Graystorm to join him. "Thank you very much, Graystorm. The whole of RoseClan appreciates your courage and loyalty."

 _And he said just the right things. If the warriors don't volunteer now, they'll look like chickens in front of their friends!_

Foxclaw, a ginger-russet tom, got to his paws. "I am young," he announced. "But, like Graystorm, nothing means more to me then RoseClan. I will join you on this mission, Bogstar, if you will let me."

Bogstar nodded and Foxclaw padded over to sit next to him.

"Anyone else?" he asked, scanning his warriors. "We only need one more cat to have a small patrol."

No one.

"I will go," a feminine voice announced.

 _No._

Dread filled Bogstar as he slowly turned to face Tigerlily as she trotted to join him. Her eyes shone with determination.

"Tigerlily, _no_ ," Bogstar hissed.

His mate fluffed up her fur. "Oh, shut your trap!" she snapped. "I'm no expecting kits and if you die, I've got no family nor a mate left in my life! I'll feel like an empty shell without you!"

In that instant where she growled back at him Bogstar suddenly sensed the stress she was feeling. She was scared of venturing out into the night but she didn't want to let him go out alone. She loved him enough to risk her own life heading out with him so they could die together.

"Very well," he answered slowly. "We head out now."

* * *

Something snapped.

The patrol jumped, spinning in the direction of the noise. "Hello?" Bogstar called, quivering.

No response.

"Just a branch," Foxclaw reported after a few moments. "Nothing's out there."

Slowly, cautiously, the patrol continued.

Then something swept Bogstar clear off his feet. Claws dug into his through and chest as his attacker held him down; with his minimal vision and senses he could tell that the same things were happening to his clan mates.

A low voice spoke. "Which one you is Bogstar?"

"I," Bogstar answered, trying to make his voice sound loud and confident. "Who are you?"

"Oh?" The voice chuckled slightly. "I am a warrior of the Dark Forest, the resting place of all cats evil. We've got a little message for RoseClan.

Bogstar widened his eyes. "A message?"

"Yes. Blackstone, bring that one over," the voice ordered.

There were a few muffled yowls and the sound of scuffles.

The voice continued. "Can you see?"

Blinking, he answered, "No."

The cat holding him down grabbed his scruff and yanked him harshly to his paws, forcing him to stare forwards. "Now?"

"Now," he confirmed.

In front of him he could see Foxclaw, the young warrior's eyes full of terror, being pinned to the ground by a shadowy shape.

"Blackstone, show him what will happen if we don't get what we want."

The shadowy tom nodded. Without a moment to spare he reared, temporarily releasing Foxclaw, before lunging back down and raking a long, deep wound from muzzle to tail. Foxclaw let out a screech of agony before sinking to the ground, still.

Bogstar pricked his ears, trying desperately to catch the sound of breathing coming from the tom.

None came.

"He's dead," he gasped.

The voice sounded surprised. "Of course he's dead! And you'll be dead, too, if we don't get what we want."

"What do you want," Bogstar whispered.

"Oh, I think we've got to take care of Miss Pretty Kitty first. I think you're a little distracted."

Tigerlily was brought forwards and Bogstar howled, thrashing in a desperate attempt to reach his mate.

In just a few moments she was dead, crumpled to the ground in a most ungraceful fashion.

"Will you give us what we want?" the voice asked.

Graystorm let out a weak shout. "No! Never! You can't force us to do anything!"

Now the voice was angry. "I can force you to die. Rowanshadow, you know what to do!"

A screech and then silence.

So Bogstar was the only one left. He howled, thrashing some more, trying desperately to get away until claws sunk into his back and a forepaw raked lightly down his spine.

"What do you want," he whispered.

"Oh, we're going to let you live," the voice mewed, but not giving him an answer to his question. "Just bring another patrol with you out here in two days' time and we'll discuss further. Bring five other cats with you, a total of six. Got that?"

Bogstar nodded weakly.

With that, the claws retracted from his back. He turned and stumbled back towards camp.

* * *

Lilywing gently guided Bogstar into his temporary nest in the medicine den. Cragfur, the deputy, padded a few paces behind, his expression full of worry. "Is he okay?"

The medicine cat's retort was sharp, stressed, and regretful. "He's gone insane. What he saw when the patrol went out drove him into a state of insanity and killed the other three."

Cragfur narrowed his eyes. "Will he ever get better?"

"No." Lilywing's mew was full of sadness now. "Cragfur, you'll have to travel to the Moontree tonight. You're leader now."


	32. Sing Your Sorrows

**Songfic:**

Brightfoot sighed, leaning against the trunk of the tree. She spent all morning climbing slowly up the tall oak, her mind spinning. What was up with him? Pineclaw wasn't sick, so what was it? He did love her, right? He had said he loved her more then anything!

 _I'm holdin' on your rope,_  
 _Got me ten feet off the ground._

Earlier today, she had asked Pineclaw to be her mate. And he had been standing there, slowly contemplating her offer. Her question. And then, eyes closed, he had raised his head, shaking it. A no.

 _And I'm hearin' what you say,_  
 _But I just can't make a sound._

Shocked, she had slowly backed out of the clearing. All the while her mind screaming no. No and why. Why had he rejected her? He had confessed his love for her to be stronger then even his strength in battle just a few nights ago!

 _You tell me that you need me,_  
 _Then you go and cut me down._

Brightfoot shut her eyes. He had said he needed her to be apart of his life- to put it bluntly, she was water and he was a dehydrated cat. He told her, promised her, that he would want to be without her. Yet he said no.  
 _But wait._  
 _You tell me that you're sorry,_

He had called her back right before she had left the clearing, his voice gentle and calm as if nothing had just happened. But things _had_! He had told her he didn't want to be her mate, pretty much told her he hated her!

 _Didn't think I'd turn around._  
 _And say._

Slowly she had turned around, her eyes starting to boil with rage. She had opened her mouth and hissed at him with nine fatal words. Growled. Spat them straight at him, full of venom.

 _That it's too late to apologize._  
 _It's too late._

She had told him it was too late. Thirty seconds was enough. Brightfoot sighed. Her anger was starting to die now into grief, and part of her wondered whether his apologies might have really been sincere. Had it been a joke she hadn't accepted? Was there still a chance?

 _I said it's too late to apologize._  
 _It's too late._

No. Any tom who could do that to a she-cat who he had told he loved was nothing but a faker. A fraud. Just trying to break her heart and leave her, shattered, in pieces. A joke would be followed up in ten seconds. Not thirty. No, it was too late to apologize with even a partly sincere apology. Too late.

 _Too late, oh uh_

It was just too late. Brightfoot lashed her tail slightly, whiskers quivering. Pineclaw didn't love her. And it was too late for him to apologize and ask to be friends.

 _I'd take another chance,_  
 _Take a fall, take a shot for you._

Brightfoot sighed. She wanted to take another chance. She wanted to trust him again. Believe his apology. But she would only be tricked again. She knew better then to fall for it.

 _I need you like a heart needs a beat,_  
 _But it's nothin' new, yeah!_

She needed him... She really did. He had been the reason she had kept going day after day, but what was the point now? Where was her motivation? The life she wanted and loved? Her dreams? Besides, Pineclaw knew what her dreams were and he had ruined them anyways. It was nothing knew yet he had still done it.

 _I loved you with a fire red,_  
 _Now it's turnin' blue._

Brightfoot had used to love him more then any cat could ever love another one... But now, knowing he didn't care for her in return, that love was dying... What was one strong was weak and easily broken. Nearly nonexistent.

 _And you say._  
 _Sorry, like an angel_

And he had said sorry. He had sorry, that she was beautiful. Sorry but no. What type of sorry was as harsh as that? Imaginary apologies, but nothing else. Well, fraud apologies, and fake apologies.

 _Heaven let me think was you._  
 _But I'm afraid._

Pineclaw was such a stupid cat. 'Oh, StarClan made me hallucinate.' 'Oh, StarClan made me say no.' 'Oh, I hate you.' Brightfoot clenched her teeth, holding back a growl as she played more and more sentences with Pineclaw's voice in her head. He was so annoying.

 _It's too late to apologize._  
 _It's too late._  
 _I said it's too late to apologize._  
 _It's too late._  
 _Whoa!_

That's right, she thought, thinking of his shocked face as she told him it was too late. It was too late to apologize- he didn't care about her at all, so why should she bother to accept his apology? Especially because it was fake...

 _It's too late to apologize._  
 _It's too late._  
 _I said it's too late to apologize._  
 _It's too late._

No, it was far too late to apologize. Thirty long seconds, not ten. She wasn't his queen, his love, his dream to be mates with. She was his peasant, just waiting for him to break her heart. Well, she wouldn't fall for him again. It was too late for his apology after all he'd done.

 _I said it's too late to apologize, yeah!_  
 _I said it's too late to apologize, yeah!_

 _I'm holdin' on your rope,_  
 _Got me ten feet off the ground._

Yet... Brightfoot would always be waiting for him to ask her to be his mate. If he ever asked her, despite his evil deeds... She'd have to say yes. Despite how much she hated him now, deep down she would always love him. And until then, she was hanging, waiting for him to respond.


End file.
